RETROSPECT OF A COLEOPTERIST FOR 1911. 141 



sect was merely another variety of dubia, Kug. Two other changes of 

 synonymy are made by Dr. Joy. He expresses the opinion that the 

 insects we have hitherto called Anisotonia scita, Er., taken by Dr. 

 Sharp in Scotland, and named by Rye, were merely forms of dubia, 

 Kug. On the other hand the insect we have hitherto called Anisotnma 

 niifrita, Schm., is what is now known on the Continent as A. scita, Er. 

 The name ni;/rita, therefore, disappears from our list. It may be 

 pointed out to prevent confusion that the insect known on the Con- 

 tinent under the name of similata. Rye, is, as Dr. Joy points out {loc. 

 cit.. p. 110), a totally different insect from our similata, and that this 

 continental insect will have to be renamed. Dr. Joy suggests y/mcAm 

 as a suitable name. In addition to giving an exceedingly good table 

 of the British species, Dr. Joy gives detailed descriptions of several 

 species of the genus, and notes as to the localities in which these 

 have been taken. The paper is an extremely good one, and will cer- 

 tainly prove of great help to many collectors who have hitherto found 

 this genus a stumbling-block, and it is to be hoped that Dr. Joy's 

 work will lead to more attention being paid to this genus, so that the 

 distribution of the species may be more accurately determined. 



Another short note by Dr. Joy (loc. cit., p. 132) deals with the var. 

 picipennis, Heer, of Qitedins attenuatun, Gyll. Dr Joy gives a useful 

 table for separating the allied species of this group of the genus 

 Quediiis. 



Dr. Sharp has contributed a series of valuable articles during the 

 past year to the pages of the Ent. Mo. Macf. In his first paper, 

 entitled " Bledins pallipes and its Allies in Britain " {loc. cit., p. 31), 

 Dr, Sharp says that much confusion has arisen owing to the fact that 

 Gravenhorst included several species under the name of pallipes. In 

 this country we have five allied species, viz., pallipes, Grav ; fuscipes, 

 Rye (which is synonymous with the later described rastellus, Schiodte); 

 terebrans, Schiodte ; and, lastly, two species new to science, and now 

 described for the first time by Dr. Sharp, anuae and filipes. Full 

 notes are given as to the localities, and as to the characters which 

 separate these allied species. 



In his second note, entitled " Bledins hinnulus, Er. (or diota, 

 Schiodte), in Britain," Dr. Sharp draws attention to the fact that in 

 this country we have hitherto confused hinnulus with bicornis. Germ. 

 {loc. cit., p. 34). Hinnulus has been found in abundance at Wells, by 

 Mr. Brewer, Dr. Joy, Mr. Donisthorpe, and the author. Dr. Sharp 

 also deals with the point as to whether hinnulus, Er., is the same 

 insect as diota, Schiodte, and comes to the conclusion that it is. 



In the third paper {loc. cit., p. 57), entitled " Bledius fracticornis, 

 and its British Allies," Dr. Sharp says that he can assert that 

 certainly three species of this group occur in Great Britain, viz., 

 fracticornis, Er., which is an uncommon species ; laetior, Muls. and 

 Rey, also apparently a rare species ; and femoralis, Gyll., which is 

 fairly common in the south of England. In addition Dr, Sharp says 

 that he has seen a male specimen in Mr. Champion's collection, and 

 that he has a female specimen in his own collection, which he cannot 

 reconcile with the descriptions of any of the above three species, and 

 he thinks it possible, therefore, that we may have a fourth undescribed 

 species of this group occurring in Great Britain. 



Mr. G. C. Champion has contributed several interesting articles 



