94 [September, 



a claim to rank as a separate species is the fact that the male is said 

 to have simple hind tibi?e and femora ; this, however, is not always a 

 constant character ; in one of Mr. "Wilkinson's specimens, which is 

 undoubtedly JE. diffusa, the hind tibiae and femora are formed as in ^. 

 decemguttata, and the latter insect varies in the characters of these 

 parts in degree, and also varies considerably in size. A male specimen 

 of Mr. Rye's, now before me, is placed by him as intermediate between 

 the two species, and this specimen and the one above referred to, form 

 very good connecting links, and shew that, however far apart the ex- 

 tremes of each series may seem, yet it may be very hard, if not impos- 

 sible, to separate the species altogether. 



It is found under the same circumstances and in company with 

 the preceding ; Addington and Shirley, in Cossus burrows. Mr. Chap- 

 pell has taken it at sap of oak exuding from Cossus burrows in Dunham i 

 Park, near Manchester, with JE. decemguttata ; Mr. Eeston has taken i1 

 at Stretford, near Manchester, flying over a wood yard ; it is deci- 

 dedly uncommon. 



Although M. Brisout first gave a detailed description of JE.. 

 diffusa as a separate species, as above-mentioned, yet it must not bej 

 forgotten that it is the var. minor, elytris immaculatis of Waterhouse's'j 

 Catalogue, and the E. fuscicollis, of Stephens ; the specimen from-j 

 which it was originally described (taken by Mr. Waterhouse) was en-i] 

 tirely testaceous, with dark thorax, and so it obtained its name. 



II. Tibiae, at most, slightly dilated at base, intermediate ones often sinuate in male ; 

 intermediate coxae moderately separate ; all the femora simple in both sexes:^ 

 i. Upper- and under-sides entirely testaceous, or rufo-testaceous, unicolorous ;' 

 disc of thorax not darker than margins. (Occasionally these species 

 have a dark spot or two towards the apex of the elytra, but this is usualh 

 deceptive, being caused by the folding of the wings against the semi 

 transparent elytra.) 

 A. Species more or less oval and convex; anterior margin of thora: 

 strongly emarginate. 

 a. Antennae with the last joint broader than the penultimate. ' 



E. cestiva, Linn. — This species may be distinguished by the large apical joir 

 of the antennae, which is always broader than the penultimate ; antennae unicolorouf 

 thorax with distinct, but not broad, margins, sides rounded, and somewhat narrowe 

 towards apex ; there is often a round darkish spot on each elytron in this specie 

 but it is usually deceptive ; all the tibiae simple in both sexes ; punctuation clo 

 and fine, but distinct. Length, 1 — 1^ lin. 



Very common in flowers everywhere, especially in hawthorn bio 

 som in spring. Mr. Chappell tells me "that he has found the larv 



