Hylastes. | RHYNCHOPHORA. 413 
much resembles in general appearance ; it may, however, be very easily 
known by its somewhat broader and shorter form, and shorter thorax 
which has the sides evidently rounded, and broader in the middle, and 
is much duller and more thickly punctured, with scarcely a trace of an 
impunctate central line; the elytra, moreover, are more coarsely and 
deeply sculptured. L. 4 mm. 
In decaying firs; local and not common; first taken in Britain under bark of fir, 
near Guildford, Surrey, by Mr. E. W. Robinson, in 1858; Shirley; Westerham, 
Kent; Weybridge; Birdbrook, Essex; Devils Dyke; Stretford district, near 
Manchester ; Scotland, very rare, Moray district. 
H. opacus, Er. Oblong, black, dull, with the base of the antenn, 
and the tarsi, ferruginous ; rostrum not carinate ; thorax a little longer 
than broad, with the sides slightly rounded and somewhat narrowed in 
front, rather strongly punctured, with a distinct smooth raised central 
line ; elytra pitchy, usually a little lighter than thorax, dull, with deep 
crenate striz, interstices narrow, somewhat rugose, with rows of 
recumbent or slightly erect hairs; the species is allied to H. palliatus, 
but is narrower and duller with the thorax evidently longer and the 
rostrum not furrowed ; the colour also is, as a rule, darker, but this can- 
not be depended on as reddish varieties often occur. L. 23-3 mm. 
In decaying firs, &e.; also occasionally in elm and ash; not uncommon locally ; 
Shirley, Mickluham, Woking, Esher, Forest Hill, Wickham, Tonbridge, Chatham ; 
Compton Wyniatt (oak and ash in numbers, Power); Hertford; Faygate, Sussex ; 
St. Leonards Forest; Arundel; New Forest; Glanvilles Wootton; Colton Pits, 
Somerset; Swansea; Llangollen; Chat Moss; Repton; Sherwood Forest; North- 
umberland and Durham district ; Scotland, Tweed and Clyde districts. 
H. angustatus, Herbst. Very closely allied to the preceding, from 
which it differs in being narrower and more elongate ; the punctuation 
of the thorax is rather coarser, the small spaces between the punctures 
being shining instead of dull; the sides of the thorax also are almost 
parallel behind ; the tibiz area little more dilated, differing also slightly 
in the spines on their outer edge ; and the rostrum exhibits a delicate but 
decided longitudinal channel; in H. opacus there is no trace of such a 
channel. L. 3 mm. 
Under bark of fir logs; very rare; one specimen taken at Holm Bush, near 
Brighton, by Mr. Rye, who says he has no doubt that it is mixed with H. opacus in 
collections; Mr. W. G. Blatch records it from Mickleham. The H. angustatus of 
Stephen’s Illustrations (III. 364) is only H. opacus. 
H. palliatus, Gyll (Hylurgops, Leconte). Pitchy-black, slightly 
shining, often more or less ferruginous ; base of antenn, tibie, and tarsi 
reddish ; rostrum furrowed ; thorax transverse, much narrowed and some- 
what constricted in front, closely and rather coarsely punctured, with a 
smooth raised central line, sides rounded and more or less dilated ; 
elytra with deep punctured striz, interstices granulate and rugose; the 
thorax and the elytra (except side margins) appear to be, as a general 
rule, reddish brown, but the colour is somewhat obscure and variable ; 
