340 Mr. J. Walton on the yenus Apion. 



Linn., agreeing with my specimens of the latter in every import- 

 ant character ; they differ however in having some parts of the 

 legs more intensely coloured ; their anterior coxce and trochanters 

 are totally black, and the fom- posterior femora more or less pi- 

 ceous and inclining to black. The insect received from Schonherr 

 differs from Germar's in having the intermediate femora testa- 

 ceous : the German specimens ajipear to have the colour of the 

 legs inclining to black, the British incline more to rufous. 



On examining a great number of this species, it will be found 

 to have a peculiar tendency to vary extremely in the colour of the 

 legs, and it is impossible to enumerate the shades of difference 

 which arise ; I shall therefore merely give a general description 

 of the range of varieties. The anterior pair of legs have their 

 00X06 and trochanters testaceous, vdth the apex of each, and some- 

 times the base and apex, more or less dusky testaceous, or piceous 

 or black ; the trochanters are not unfrequently wholly piceous or 

 black ; now and then the coxse are black at the base and apex, 

 obscure testaceous in front and piceous black behind, clearly in- 

 dicating a propensity to become entirely black ; the anterior tibise 

 are frequently piceous, sometimes rufo-testaceous, sometimes 

 black ; occasionally the base and the lower half are black, and 

 between the knees and the middle testaceous ; the four posterior 

 coxse, their trochanters, the joints, the tibiae, and all the tarsi, 

 piceous black or black ; all the femora beneath rufous or testa- 

 ceous, now and then inclining to piceous above. 



Aj:). TrifoUi may be distinguished from Ap. assimile and Ap. 

 Fagi by having the anterior trochanters pitchy and the four pos- 

 terior black, whereas the two latter species have all the tro- 

 chanters constantly rufous* ; Ap. TrifoUi has the rostrum por- 

 rect and very little bent, a good character which will also distin- 

 guish it from Aj). assimile, the latter having the rostrum distinctly 

 curved : these characters, independent of other less striking dif- 

 ferences, are sufficient to discriminate this species from its con- 

 geners. 



I met with this insect in considerable numbers wdth the two 

 preceding in a field of red clover ( Trifolium pratense) near Heme 

 Bay in Kent, at the beginning of last June. 



* Mr. Kirby has very judiciously introduced into liis descriptions the co- 

 lour of the coxas and trochanters, and has been followed by Mr. Stephens. 

 It is surprising that Gyllenhal, Germar and Schonherr should have disre- 

 garded the colour of these organs as a subsidiary specific character ; never- 

 theless it is a valuable auxiliary, not only in determining species, but also 

 the sexes : for example, the male of yip. rttfirostre has all the coxse and 

 trochanters yellow, the female has all the coxre black and the trochanters 

 rufous (first noticed by Mr. Spence) ; the male of///;, difforme has all tlie 

 trochanters rufous, the female has them deep black ; the male oi Ap.JJaoipes 

 has the anterior coxlg rufous, in the female tlicy are always black. 



