184 THE entomologist's record. 



The British species of Hydroecia — Hydroecia crinanensis, n. sp. 



By (Rev.) C. R. N. BURROWS. 

 Some time since I dissected the <y genitalia of Ihjilroecia nictitans 

 and H. poliuUs and found them abundantly distinct. Since then, with 

 Mr. F. N. Pierce, I have examined the genitalia of a large number of 

 these species, together with the " moss " form, H. Iticens, and certain 

 Scotch examples taken by Messrs. Bacot and Simes near the Crinan 

 Canal. The result has been most interesting and unexpected ; not 

 only do nictitans, paludis, and liicens prove to be abundantly distinct, 

 in both sexes, but we have also discovered a fourth species among the 

 specimens from Scotland, for which Mr. Pierce and I propose the 

 provisional name crinanensis, from the locality whence the specimens 

 were obtained. This species also occurs amongst specimens which 

 Dr. Chapman has received from continental sources, and labelled 

 " Turkestan." The publication of the description of these forms, 

 the illustration of the genitalia in both sexes, and their general 

 differentiation cannot be published just at present. More time is 

 needed, and the whole question of their distinction is a serious one, 

 involving a consideration of the distribution of the various forms and 

 other details. For the present we simply wish to put on record the 

 fact of our having four distinct species of the "nictitans'' type, leaving 

 the further account thereof to be dealt with in the not far-off future. 



OLEOPTERA. 



Xantholinus distans, Kr., near Dumfries. — On May 1st, this year, 

 I took a specimen of the rare Xa)itholini(s distans in flood refuse at 

 Kelton, near Dumfries. In the report of the Proceedings of the Ento- 

 mological Society {Knt. Mo. Mag., 1908, p. 141) it is recorded as new 

 to the British list, which, of course, is not the case, and also as taken 

 at Helton instead of Kelton, As Champion points out [loc. cit.), he 

 took a specimen at Braemar (but in 1873, not 1878, as there stated), 

 and this is mentioned in Fowler (C'oZ. Brit. Isles, vol. ii., p. 291). 

 When the Irish list was published in 1902, the authors, in bringing 

 forward A', cribripennis, Fauv. (p. 656), suggested that it was likely 

 that some of the Scotch records of distans might be referable to cribri- 

 pennis. In a criticism of the last catalogue of British coleoptera 

 (Beare and Donisthorpe, 1904), Mr. Newbery writes {Ent. Becord, 

 1905, p. 19) "the specimens in British collections under A', distans, are 

 most probably cribripennis, Fauv.'' In our reply to this, we pointed 

 out {loc. cit., p. 22) that "most probably" was neither scientific nor 

 accurate, and that we were right in retaining both species in the list, 

 which, of course, is the case. — Horace Donisthorpe. June Gth, 1908. 



Hydrobius fuscipes, L., ab. chalconatus, Steph., at Tottenham. 

 — Whilst fishing for water-beetles at Tottenham, with Mr. Pool, this 

 month, a fine specimen of this aberration was fished up. Stephens 

 {Mand. Coleopt., vol. ii., p. 128, 1829) mentions that the colour is very 

 variable, brilliantly metallic, coppery or brassy black, or of a splendid 

 greenish-brass, sometimes violaceous or bright green. My specimen 

 has the elytra coppery and the head and thorax greenish-blue wdth a 

 coppery reflection. The var. aeneus, Sol., brought forward in Sharp 

 and Fowler's Catalogue, 1893, is a synonym of chalconatus, Steph. 



