ssi. 41 



The Hemiptera of Finland. — In the " Meddel. af Soc. pro Fauna et Flora 

 fennica," 7, 1881, pp. 1 — 109, under the title " Enumeratio Hemipterorum G-ymno- 

 ceratorum Fennia?," Dr. John Sahlberg has a List of the Hemiptera Gymnocerata of 

 Finland, which, primarily interesting in that country on account of the localities in 

 which the insects have been found there, is of wider importance as showing the 

 prevalence so far of species otherwise known in Europe, and affording means of 

 learning their geographical and climatal range. Especially useful, therefore, is the 

 following summary, derived from recent sources, of the number of species of 

 Gymnocerata inhabiting certain regions of Europe. 



Finland 360 species 



Sweden 350 „ 



Norway 185 „ 



Denmark 280 „ 



Livonia 304 „ 



Moscow Govt 213 „ 



Britain 390 species 



Alsace and Lorraine 492 „ 



Belgium , 337 „ 



To which may be added, sec. Snellen van 

 Vollenhoven 



Holland 263 species 



These numbers are not absolute, because in each region other species will doubt- 

 less be yet discovered, and some of the reputed species may possibly merge into 

 varieties, but yet the totals are sufficiently approximate to reality to enable 

 comparison to be made. As between Finland and Britain the greater part of the 

 species are identical, but each country has some not found in the other ; for example, 

 Finland, with an apparently less total than Britain, has 15 species of Aradzis, while 

 Britain has but 4. One new species is described, Salda lapponica, allied to S. 

 c-album, Fieb., and S. palustris, Doug. I note some of the more striking items in 

 the paper. 



As to the nomenclature of genera : — Kleidocerus is retained although the genus 

 was not characterized under this name. Acalypta, which has been incorrectly 

 revived by some, is again deposed in favour of Orthostira. Apocremnus, merged 

 into Psallus by Reuter, is again separated. Halticus is retained notwithstanding 

 the prior use of Haltica. Microphysa is adopted instead of Zygonotus, although 

 the characters of the former are dei'ived from the ? only and do not at all apply to 

 the $ , while the latter includes the characters of both sexes. Cryptostemma, a pre- 

 occupied name, is revived instead of Dipsocoris. 



As to the species : — The name Scolopostethus ericetorum, Leth., is resumed vice 



S. decoratus, Reut. S. pilosus, Reut., is put as = S. qffinis, Fieb., Thorns. Salda 



[fucicola, J. Sahib., and 8. pilosella, Thorns., are retained as distinct species. S. 



c-album is maintained vice the older name stellata, Curt., and S. restita, Doug. 



(following Reuter), is given as the macropterous form of that species. 



In a previous part of the same journal (5, 1880), Dr. O. M. Reuter gives a list 



o o 



of the Hemiptera of the regions of Abo and Aland only, the Gymnocerata numbering 

 135 species (pp. 160 — 193). Sehirus luctuosus, Muls. and Rey, is enumerated as = 

 morio, Fall., Fab., Sahib., nee. Linn. : this should be a hint to us to see if our morio 

 be the true species, or if we have both of them in Britain.* Under some genera 



* The differential characters of Sehirus luctuosus are thus given by Mulsont and Rey 

 ("Punaises de France, Pentatomides," p. 54, 1866). " S. luctuosus, often confounded with &. 

 morio, is distinguished from it by its smaller size ; its anterior tibiae armed with only 9 — 1 1 opines 

 on the anterior edge, up to the exterior half of the anterior margin ;in morio 11 — 13 > ; the anterior 

 margin of each side of the presternum generally more constantly and sensibly raised and arcuate 

 in its inner half ; the pronotum punctured almost as strongly on the posterior portion as on the 

 rest of its surface ; the thighs more angular at the extremity ; the membrane of the elytra 



