Otiorrhyncliu$.~] RHYNCHOPHORA. 181 



occur (apparently the v. pabulinus, Pauz.), which are often confused 

 with the succeeding species. L. 4-5 mm. 



In moss, and at the roots of various plants ; it appears to feed on various kinds of 

 vegetation ; occasional ly it is found by beating hedges ; Common and very widely dis- 

 tributed, but in Britain it appears to be almost confined to the coast counties; Dr. 

 Sharp records it as common in Scotland in the Sol way, C>yde, Forth and Tay districts ; 

 Ireland, near Dublin, and probably widely spread; according to Bedel it is dis- 

 tributed over all Europe, western Siberia, and the north-eastern part of the United 

 States. 



O. muscorum, Bris. Very closely allied to the reddish variety of 

 the preceding species, but as a rule distinguished from it by its more or 

 less ferruginous colour ; it is also smaller, with evidently shorter and 

 less robust antennae and legs (the posterior femora being very feebly 

 toothed beneath) ; the general form is narrower, the pubescence more 

 distinct, and the thorax is less strongly tuberculate, and the central 

 sulci are far less strongly marked (a point thit will easily separate it) ; 

 it also has a narrower rostrum, which is distinctly depressed in the 

 middle. L. 4 mm. 



In moss ; occasionally found in sandpits and by sweeping herbage ; not uncommon ; 

 Dartford, St. Mary Cray, Shirley, Mickleham, Leith Hill, West Wickham ; Malvern ; 

 Knowle, near Birmingham; Banks of Dove, Burton-on-Trent ; Church Stretton ; 

 Llangoilen ; Manchester district, abundant and general in sandy place*, especially on 

 the coast (Chappell) ; Northumberland and Durham district, on Melilot trefoil at 

 South Shields and Hartley (Bold);' Scotland, not rare, Solway, Forth, Dee aud 

 probably other districts ; Ireland, Armagh (Johnson). 



PZBXTEXiUS, Germar. 



This genus contains nearly fifty species, of which the majority occur 

 in Europe, and the remainder have been described from Xorth and South 

 Africa ; they are, for the most part, extremely local ; only one species is 

 found in Britain, and this very rarely ; they are closely allied to Otior- 

 rhynclius, from which they differ in having the femora not clavate and 

 always simple beneath, and the tarsal claws (in our species) connate ; 

 the antennae are stout and rather long, the scutelluin indistinct, and the 

 body closely covered with scales, without short recumbent hairs. 



P. griseus, 01. (*plueroi<les, Germ.). Oblong-ovate ; black, clothed 

 thickly with greyish and brownish scales, which are light at sides of 

 head, thorax and elytra, and in fresh specimens have a slight pinkish 

 reflection ; antenure reddish-pitch brown, scape longer than the funiculus; 

 forehead with a small depression between eyes, rostrum with a fine 

 central furrow ; thorax with the sides gradually and slightly rounded, 

 deeply and diffusely punctured ; elytra ovate, with fine and not very 

 closely punctured striae, interstices broad ; legs pitchy red or brownish. 

 L. 6-8 mm. 



On bushes, &c. ; sometimes injurious to vines ; extremely rare in Britain ; Ventnor 

 udown, Isle of Wight (Wainwright and Sidebothaui). 



