220 [October, 



herited, unaltered, from its ancestors a method of defence, which was 

 sufficient a^^ainst the ancestors of Ohn/sis, but which is useless against 

 Chrysis itself, 'i'he attack may have beaten the defence, while yet 

 the defence has not been abandoned. But one would be rather sorry 

 to believe that these beautiful structures were no better than a sense- 

 less anachronism, the result of *an instinct that had outlived its only 

 purpose. 



Woking : August, 1903. 



CARIDA AFFINIS, Patk., A BEETLE NEW TO BRITAIN. 

 BT D. SHARP, M.A., M.B., F.E.S. 



We are indebted to Colonel Yerbury and Mr. C. G. Lamb for 

 the discovery of this species in Britain. Carid'i affinis is very similar 

 in form to G. flexuosa, but is rather smaller, and is darker in colour, 

 being piceous, with the shoulders reddish ; the margiJis of the thorax 

 are also vaguely red ; the auteuiise and legs are entirely pale red. The 

 sculpture and pubescence are excessively fine. 



There is some doubt as to whether this species has been found 

 in Britain before, as according to Seidlitz (Ins. Deutschlands Y, «', p. 

 524), Abdera picea, AValker, is a synonym of the Hallomenus affinis 

 of Paykull. In this I think Seidlitz is wrong, for Walker's brief 

 description and the locality are neither of them suitable to (J. affinis. 

 He says — 



'^Abdera picea. Picea, A. hifasciata et quadrifasciata angustior, antennis basi, 

 pedibus thoracisque margina fulvis. Picea, nitens, subtilissime punctata, fere glabra : 

 oculi nigro-picei ; discus piceus : antennae fuscse, basi fulvae ; pedes fulvi. Corp. 

 long. lin. If. Found near London. 



The species occurs in Scandinavia, Germany and France. 



Seidlitz treats Garida as a subgenus of Abdera. He divides the 

 genus into four named subgenera, though he has only six species, and 

 it appears to me to be better and more natural to treat G. flexuosa 

 and affinis as a distinct genus. 



Mr. C. G. Lamb gave me a specimen of this species, found by 

 him in Strathspey in July last. On calling the attention of Colonel 

 Yerbury to its interest, he looked for it with such success that, owing 

 to his kindness, it is now in several collections. \t occurred in fungus 

 on old trees. On visiting the spot with Mr. Lamb this year we found 

 the tree had been cut down, and with its fungus cleared away, and 

 we could find no trace of the insect. 



Brockenhurst : Sept. 13th, 1906. 



