Sitones.] RHVXCHOPHORA. 217 



but the Rev.T. Wood lias found them feeding by night in large numbers ; 

 the attacked crops may be known by having the leaves eaten and 

 notched at the edge ; an account of various remedies suggested will be 

 found in Miss Ormerod's Manual of Injurious Insects, p. 133; the pea- 

 crops suffer most in their early stages ; the best method, therefore, to 

 prevent the loss of the crop is to ensure as quick a growth as possible, 

 and this may be done by" providing " a good seed bed, friable, sufficiently 

 moist, and rich in available plant-food, which may be obtained to a 

 certain extent by peas following cabbage or root crops in rotation ; in 

 garden cultivation, besides the liberal supply of manure needed to run 

 on a healthy growth, it has been found to answer well to put a little 

 broken turf and wood ashes along the drill, sow the peas on this, and 

 cover them with a little more of the same " ; a good depth of coal ashes, 

 placed at sowing time "along the drills on a clayey loam, has been found 

 to answer well ; the attacks are worst in dry weather ; it is evident, 

 therefore, that keeping the plants damp is distasteful to the beetles and 

 encourages healthy growth ; a dressing of lime or soot given to the wet 

 plants is an easily applied and generally effective remedy. 



The British species may to a certain extent be distinguished by the 

 following table, but a careful study of the detailed descriptions, and, if 

 possible, a comparison of authentic types, is necessary, if they are to be 

 determined with any accuracy. 



I. Scutellum very conspicuous, with two white tufts 

 of hair which diverge in front and cause it to 

 appear emarginate ; scrobes feebly curved ; elytra 

 long, with the alternate interstices subconvex ; 



length 6-9 mm S. GBISECS, /. 



II. Scutelium not conspicuous and not appearing 



emarginate in front; scrobes more stronglycurved. 

 i. Elytra, if viewed sideways, with very distinct 

 raised seta;. 



1. Thorax very closely punctured, convex and 

 arched, forming: a distinct ansle with the ely- 

 tra if viewed sideways, sides stronsly rounded; 



eyes prominent ; outstauding setae very long . S. REGESSTEIXEXSIS, Herbft. 



2. Thorax not convex and arched, almost on the 



same level with the elytra. 



A. Eyes flat ; thorax with large diffuse punc- 

 tures and with the sides moderately strongly 



rounded S HISPIDTTI.TJS, F. 



B. Eyes very prominent; thorax coarsely punc- 



tured, with the sides slightly rounded, 

 a Apex of scrobes plainly visible if viewed 



from above ; punctuation of thorax 



coarser; scales of elytra very narrow; 



eyes extremely prominent S. WATEBBOCSEI, Walt. 



b. Apex of scrobes not or scarcely visible if 



viewed from above ; punctuation of thorax 



closer and a little finer; scales of elytra 



round ; eyes very prominent, but less so 



than in the preceding species S. CBISITFS, Herlst. 



