1874] 209 



thorax are more than thrice as high as the flattened abdomen. The checks behind 

 the eyes are strongly bearded with pale golden, stiff, adpressed bristles, resembling 

 scales ; the hairs on other parts of the body are of the same colour, but more erect : 

 and on the sides and raised edges of the metathorax is a covering of fine golden 

 pubescence. 



Faciea of Scelio and Sj)arasion, thougli the insect is very distinct 

 from those genera. 



Whether this genus is to be referred to Forster's section h, or to 

 hh, depends upon the more or less sessile attachment of the abdomen. 

 I have so few of the allied genera that I am unable to compare it, ex- 

 cept with Sparasion and Scelio, both of which have the base of the 

 abdomen wider. I therefore prefer to associate it with auction h, 

 "Der Hinterleib nicht mit breiter Basis sitzend " (Hym. Stud, ii, 101). 

 Section hh, Sparasion, Ac, is described aa having the abdomen " mit 

 "breiter Basis sitzend." The distinction seems a very slight one, de- 

 pendent upon the value of a merely relative term. In any case, 

 however, the present genus ia new, and its precise situation in the 

 series is a matter of less importance. 



Lastingham, Pickering : 

 December, 1873. 



L 



liote on the occv/rrence near Manchester of Sylurgus ligniperda, Tomicus steno- 

 graphus, and T. nigritus. — Mr. Joseph Chappell, of Hulme, when recently sending 

 me a few examples of Tomicus stenographus, — a gigantic species, which I believe is 

 not generally considered to be undoubtedly British, — at the same time communicated 

 to me some specimens of two other members of the Xylophaga found with it, and 

 which I refer to Hylurgus ligniperda, Fab., and (with some reserve) Tomicus 

 nigritus, Gryll., Thorns. The former of these would, if proved to be British, 

 add another genus to our list (as our other so-called Sylurgi are to be referred 

 to Blastophagus or Dendroctonus, Xylechinus and Cissophagvs), and the latter 

 has been recorded as British by Dr. Sharp (Ent. Mo. Mag., vi, p. 256) on the 

 authority of a single specimen from Inverness-shire. Mr. Chappell tells me that 

 these insects were found at Dukinfield, under the bark of some trees of Finus syl- 

 vesfris, brought into that neighbourhood to make props for a coal mine. These 

 trees were of a good size, from 10 to 15 inches diameter at the base, and varying in 

 length from 15 to 20 feet. Particular enquiry has been made both by himself and 

 Mr. Ward, a Lepidopterist residing at Dukinfield, as to the place from whence these 

 trees came, and both those gentlemen were told it was Scotland, and also that the 

 miners did not like foreign timber, ns it did not last so long as the Scotch. It is not 

 to be supposed that such an " embarras do richesses " can be unreservedly accepted 

 on such slight evidence ; but, as all the insects, from their distribution, are not un- 

 likely to be found in this country, and two of them are already on our list, it may 

 be aa well to record these captures. The Hylurgus is a very fine looking beetle for 

 the group, over 22 lines in length ; it somewhat recalls Hylastes cunicularius, and 



