270 [May, 



Upper-side (except tlie head and front part of pronotum, which 

 are black), antennae, and legs, ferruginous ; sternum white, in certain 

 aspects brassy ; abdomen black, spines of the connexiva long, acute ; in 

 the $ as long as the genital segments, in the $ half the length. 



ffmcZ black, with yellowish pubescence. AntenncR long, slender, ferruginous; 1st 

 joint considerably longer than the 2nd, 3rd as usual very small, 4th scarcely so 

 long as the 2nd, 5th sub-equal with the 2nd. J?i/es brown-black. Ocelli ferru- 

 ginous. 'RasVrmn, black, 3rd joint, except the base, ferruginous. 



Tliorax — Pronotum very slightly convex, finely punctured, light ferruginous, with a 

 lighter fine central line throughout the length, widest in front, scarcely 

 perceptibly raised except on the scutellar process ; anterior region, except on 

 the middle line, black ; the tubercle at the hinder angles small, fuscous ; 

 scutellar process convex, its flat margin fuscous. Elytra dark ferruginous ; 

 nerves black, with golden hairs. Wings fuscous. Sternum white, the sides in 

 certain aspects with a pale brassy tinge ; next the pronotum, on the whole 

 length, a distinct black streak, outwardly bordered with silvery-white ; pro- 

 sternum black in the middle, sides yellowish. Legs dull ferruginous, 3rd pair 

 scarcely shorter than the 2nd, the thighs of the 3rd pair longer and the tibiae 

 shorter than in the 2nd, but the tarsi of the 2nd pair are double the length of 

 those of the 3rd ; coxal sheath above diagonally black ; tibice, 1st pair beneath 

 with a narrow black line. 



Abdomen beneath black, with a whitish gloss; 6th segment posteriorly with a deep 

 rounded excision, deeper in the ^ than in the ? ; the points of the connexiva 

 long, acute, reaching in the <J about half the length of the genital segments, 

 in the ? of equal length. Genital segments, the 1st in both sexes carinate, in 

 the ? compressed at the sides. Length, $ , 7 lines. 



We are indebted to Mr. J, A. Brewer for a specimen from the 

 collection of the late Mr. Heysham, of Carlisle, which there is good reason 

 to believe was taken by him in that locality. Mr. J. B. Hodgkinson, 

 of Preston, writes in answer to our enquiry, — " There can be no doubt 

 *' that Mr. Heysham's Hydrometra is British. Mr. Heysham had no 

 " idea of anything foreign, and rarely, if ever, bought any insects but 

 " such as were taken near Carlisle. He was a reserved, exclusive, and 

 " most laborious naturalist, and no one helped him in any order except 

 " Lepidopfera.''^ 



The species is found in France, Italy, Germany, and Eussia: 

 therefore it is likely to occur in Britain ; but although the name was 

 introduced into the British List by Stephens and Curtis, the insect to 

 which it was applied was H. tlioracica, Schum., as Curtis' s description 

 (B. E. xii., 553, 3) shows. 



