256 : LONGICORNIA. { Oberea. 
tubercles on disc on each side of the central line; head and thorax 
rugosely punctured, the latter slightly transverse ; elytra emarginate at 
apex, thickly clothed with greyish pubescence, and with very large black 
punctures, which are finer at apex; legs short and stout. LL. 15-18 mm. 
Male with the antenne about two-thirds as long as body, and the 
fifth ventral seement of the abdomen broadly and deeply impressed, with 
the apex slightly emarginate, and the angles at each side of the emar- 
gination slightly prominent. 
Female with the antennw about half as long as the body, and the fifth 
ventralsegment of the abdomen with anarrow channel, and theapex truncate. 
In and about sallows; rare; Isle of Ely and fen districts of Cambridgeshire 
generally (Dr. Power and others); near Romney (Dr. Lowe); Stephens records it 
from Carlisle, Barons Wood, and Scotland; half a century ago it used to be taken 
not unfrequently in the fen districts, but I know of no captures in these localities in 
recent years. The capture near Romney is very remarkable ; on being informed of it 
by Mr. G. Lewis, I wrote to Dr. Lowe, who kindly sent me full particulars as follows :— 
‘The insect you mention I took in the autumn of 1883; I was beating everything 
I came across with an ordinary butterfly-net about a mile from Dymechurech—in fact 
at St. Mary’s Coast-guard Station. The bank I was searching was close to the sea 
water, and I daresay had been originally made to keep off the tidal overflow ; it was 
covered with Hippophaé rhamnoides, which was in fine fruit, and I can positively 
declare that I knocked the Oberea oculata off the above-named shrub. I looked for 
some time to find another, and I returned some days after and renewed my search 
without further success; the place I have indicated is not far from Romney, and 
it forms part of Romney marshes; considering the known habits of the insect, I 
think there is little doubt but that it was carried by chance to the spot I have 
described, and that if I had gone to the marshes and ditches which abound for miles 
I should have taken more, but I did not then know its habits.”’ * 
A chance occurrence of an insect like this in a locality quite distinct 
from any previously recorded serves to show how very little we really 
know as to the distribution of some of our most conspicuous insects. 
PHYTOPHAGA. 
This series contains a very large number of conspicuous and brightly 
coloured insects of various forms and sizes, the greater number, perhaps, 
being oval or rotundate- oval, and very convex ; in several of the families, 
however, the shape is more or less elongate, and a large number of 
species are darkly-coloured and inconspicuous ; the few groups and 
families have a general appearance about them (or habitus, as some 
authors call it) which is usually unmistakeable ; in spite of this, however, 
they are exceedingly difficult to define or separate on any distinct 
characters, and any attempt to do so will be found very unsatisfactory ; 
some authors include the Longicornia under the group, and a large 
number omit the Bruchide; these latter are now generally regarded as 
coming nearest to the Sagrina, although not exactly agreeing with any 
* Since the above was written, I have been informed by Mr. J. J. Walker that the 
species was taken last summer (1888) by Mr. Frank Norgate, near Downham Market, 
Norfolk. 
