Apion.] RBYNCHOPHORA. 131 



Bedel, cjr.), Hookeri, brunmipes, Bedel, > &c. (Icevi- 



gatum, Kirov). 



Labiatse: (Mentha) flavimanum ; (Thymus) atomarium, 

 Staticacese: limonii. 

 Polygonacea : (Rumex) miniatum, cruntatum, sanguineum, frumfu- 



tariurn (h<ematodes), rubens ; violaceum, Tiydrolapathi; 



curtirostre (= humile, Germ.), &c. 

 Buxaceae: (Mercurialis), semivittatum, pallipes. 

 Urticaceae: urticarium (uernale). 

 Salicaceae : minimum. 



With regard to A. simile there seems to he a doubt ; it is found, 

 according to M. Bedel, exclusively oil Betula (birch), but its habitat in 

 the larval state is unknown. 



Owing to the number of species comprised in the genus it is very 

 difficult to form a satisfactory table ; at the same time the differences, 

 although in many cases comparative, are, as a rule, easily appreciable, so 

 that the genus is not in reality as hard as many others that contain 

 fewer species; in constructing a dichotomous table, however, to comprise 

 many species, the difficulty lies in finding leading characters on which to 

 divide off groups or series that run more or less into one another ; as has 

 been before remarked, the older writers on Apions, such as Kirby, Walton 

 and others, divided the genus into larger or smaller groups on the distance 

 of the insertion of the antennas from the base of the rostrum ; this 

 character, although most useful in some cases, is very confusing in others, 

 and appears to be abandoned by the latest writers ; I have, to a consider- 

 able extent, although not altogether, followed Bedel's classification (1. c. 

 p. 205), but it must be admitted that some of the characters are not 

 altogether easy of appreciation, and the table given below must be 

 rega:ded merely as a guide to the detailed descriptions and not as a sub- 

 stitute for them. In his catalogue of the species Bedel (1. c. pp. 360 et 

 seqq.) divides them into seventeen groups ; some of these are of course 

 very marked, but others appear to he made up of rather discordant 

 elements and might with reason be further subdivided. 



I. Rostrum narrowed towards apex, wedge-shaped or subulate ; 

 eyes large and very prominent. (Ofystoma, Durneril, nee 



Stephens), 

 i. Upper surface blue ; size larger ; sutural stria abridged in 



front and scarcely passing the apex of scutellum A. POMOXi, F. 



ii. Upper surface black or slate-coloured ; size smaller ; sutural 

 stria of elj'tra not abridged in front and continued to base. 



1. Rostrum strongly and angularly gibbose beneath ; antennae 

 entirely red in the male, more or less broadly black towards 



apex in female A. CRACOE, L. 



2. Rostrum slightly or comparatively slightly gibbose beneath ; 

 antcnnse black in both sexes, with the exception of one or 

 two joints at base. 



A. Rostrum abruptly subulate. 



K 2 



