^Ir. J. Walton on the (/cnus Apioii. 330 



being written on the same pa])er w hich bears the insect, effectually 

 protects it against every casualty : this evidence is so strong and 

 conclusive; that not a shadow of a doubt can now exist as to its 

 identity. Moreover it agrees with liis description in all its na- 

 tural characters ; but the body is covered beneatli with whitish 

 mould, which has been noted by the terms '' abdomen niveum," 

 when in fact the species has a black, naked body : this error, 

 it is but fair to observe, may well be excused, since, accord- 

 ing to Kirby, Linnrcus rarely used a lens. Cure. Trifolii, de- 

 scribed by Marsham (after Linnrcus) as having a white abdomen, 

 has long been inunolated by Kirby. Schonhcrr has cited Ap. 

 Trifulii of Linnrcus as a mere synonym to Ap. Vicice, because the 

 hatter species has a white abdomen ; but Schcinherr has injudi- 

 ciously appUed the name to a species ^\ith very different cha- 

 racters, namely Ap. Trifulii of Lintz. "We arc informed by Lin- 

 nseus that his insect inhabits Trifulium montanum ; in England it 

 is found abundantly upon TrifoUwn pratense. I have many times 

 inspected the type of Cure. Trifolii of Linnseus, and have not the 

 slightest doubt of its being a female of Ap. astivum. I sent ex- 

 amples ( cJ ? ) of this species to Schonhcrr, who refen-ed them to 

 Ap.cestivum of his work. I hke\nse sent many specimens toGeraiar, 

 who has recorded his opinion of them as follows : " Ap. cestivum : 

 Kirby's Ap. assimile is identical* ; the first joint of the antennse 

 is more or less red, and sometimes also the second ;" " but Ap. 

 assimile of Gyllenhal is unknown to me." I cannot concur with 

 Dr. Germar that the British Ap. astivum is identical with Kirby's 

 Ap. assimile, because I think they arc furnished with characters 

 sufficiently endent to entitle them to rank as distinct species ; 

 certainly the British Ap. astivum occurs \vith the basal joints of 

 the antennre more or less piceous, but they are generally black, 

 except the first joint, which is red at its base. I must here ob- 

 serve, that specimens of Ap. assimile of Kirby, which I sent to 

 Schonhcrr, were identified by him as Ap. assimile of Gyllenhal. 

 I also forwarded to Germar examples of the same species. 



I received an insect from Schonhcrr (symbolized cJ ) with the 

 name Ap. riijierus, referred by him to his work (v. p. 407. 100, 

 Germania). I \n-ote to Germar for specimens of Ap. cpstivum; he 

 sent me an examiAe oi " Ap. 7-uf cms, Germ." Schonhcrr now 

 appears to regard Ap. rufierus as distinct from Aj). astivum, al- 

 though he has previously cited the former name as a sjTionjTn to 

 the latterf ; Germar has recorded that " Ap. rufierus may perhaps 

 be only a variety of Ap. cestivum X-" 



I have very carefully examined the German examples of Ap. 

 rufierus, and have no doubt they are both males of Ap. Trifulii, 



* Ent. Zeit., Stettin, no. 1. p. 4, IS 12. 



t Syn. Ins. i. p. 281. no. 70. + Germ. Mag. iii. App, p. 39. 



