178 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



which I am acquainted is that published by Messrs. Mark- 

 vvicli, Marsham, and Kirby, at page 142 of the sixth volume 

 of the Linnean Transactions, in 1800. This account is so 

 complete that it leaves nothing to be desired. Mr. Kirby 

 calls it Apion flaviferaoratum ; but the older name of Apion 

 apricans of Herbst was adopted by the late Mr. Walton. I 

 may here mention, although perhaps rather a little digressing 

 from Mr. Herbert's enquiry, that there are three species of 

 Apion which feed on the seed-pods of three species of clover, 

 each, so far as I have ascertained, confining its destructive 

 labours to a single species: Apion apricans or flaviferaoratum 

 to the cultivated red clover, mentioned by Mr. Herbert 

 (Trifolium pratense) ; Apion flavipes to the white Dutch 

 clover, so common in pastures and on lawns (Trifolium 

 repens) ; and Apion assimile to the sulphur-coloured trefoil 

 (Trifolium ochroleucum), a species common iu pastures on 

 cretaceous soil, but not of much repute among farmers: the 

 last clover is rather conspicuous, occasionally by waysides, 

 from the persistency of its flowers, which turn brown. In the 

 collection of insects under ray care are specimens of all these 

 insects, named by Walton, purposely for the information of 

 enquirers. With regard to the life-history of Apion apricans, 

 I fancy there are mistakes iu its book-history, which it may 

 be desirable to point out as a caution against repetition : for 

 instance, it is commonly said to breed during the whole 

 year; others confine its injurious proceedings to the sumraer 

 months ; and some mention four months, — August, September, 

 October, and November. I believe this insect is very nearly 

 akin to man in its proceedings, and rather follows circumstances 

 than rules, times or seasons : thus, as boys gather nuts, and 

 farmers cut their wheat, when nuts and wheat are ripe, so do 

 these little weevils attack the clover-seed when it is ready 

 for them, without referring to the almanack. Another state- 

 ment is made by the older authors, and repealed on his own 

 authority by Mr. Curtis, which I am unable in any respect to 

 confirm, namely, that the grub producing this weevil has 

 legs. Mr. Curtis says : — " In the middle of Noveraber I 

 again examined the clover-heads, and found two larvae curled 

 up, like those of the Melolonthida;, with six distinct pectoral 

 legs." If these larva had legs at all they would certainly 

 be thoracic, which Mr. Curtis evidently means by the term 



