RHYXCHOPHORA. 235 



berland and Durham district ; Scotland, rare, Forth district ; it has not been recorded 

 from Ireland, but probably occurs in that country. 



H. variabilis, Herbst. (postica, GylL). Much smaller and narrower 

 than the preceding species ; black, clothed with brown or ashy scales ; 

 head with a faint depression between eyes ; antennae red with darker 

 club ; thorax with the sides evenly rounded, and with three longitudinal 

 lighter bands, of which the central one is sometimes more or less obso- 

 lete ; on the two side ones there is a small dark patch just in front of 

 middle ; elytra with a large denuded dark patch reaching from the 

 base at scutellum to beyond middle, remainder of suture tessellated, 

 sides with obscure small black patches and lighter lines, neither being 

 strongly marked ; femora pitchy black, tibia? and tarsi ferruginous. L. 

 4-5 mm. 



Male with the antennae inserted almost in the middle of the rostrum 

 and the abdomen slightly impressed at base ; in the female the antennae 

 are inserted a little behind the apex of the rostrum. 



On various Leguminosce, Trifolium, Medicago, &c. ; often in moss, and haystack 

 ami vegetable refuse ; generally distributed and common in the London district and 

 the southern counties; somewhat local in the Midlands; Liverpool district, general ; 

 Northumberland and Durham district ; Scotland, rare, Sol way, Forth and probably 

 other districts ; Ireland, Waterford and Armagh. In this species, as in several of its 

 allies, the scales, in fre^h specimens, have sometimes a coppery reflection, especially on 

 thorax ; the elytra occasionally have a fuscous band near sides. 



H. murina, F. Extremely like the preceding in general appearance, 

 but considerably larger and of more robust form ; the rostrum and 

 fur iculus are longer ; the thorax is broader with the sides more rounded, 

 and the elytra have the interstices more raised and the dark patch at 

 base of elytra less distinct ; in the female the fifth ventral segment is 

 rounded at the extreme apex only, instead of being broadly rounded. As 

 M. Bedel remarks (1. c. p. 79), all authors admit the distinctness of this 

 species from H. variabilu, without, however, being able to define the 

 distinctive characters. L. 6-7 mni. 



Sandy places ; by sweeping Leguminosa ; often in sand-pits ; according to Heeger 

 it lives on Medicago sativa; very local, but not uncommon in some districts ; Batter- 

 sea Fields (formerly) Shirley, Mickleham, Sydeuham, Reigate, D.irtford, Gravesend, 

 Miiidstone, Chatham, Whitstable ; Deal; Dover; Arundel; Glanvilles Woottou; 

 Exeter district; Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire; Crosby, Liverpool (rare) ; Scotland, very 

 rare, Solway and Forth districts ; Ireland, Portmarnock. 



H. plantag-inis, De G. Black, clothed with ashy-brown scales, 

 head convex, finely punctured, with an impression between the eyes ; 

 antennae ferruginous or red with club dark ; eyes distant on forehead; 

 thorax transverse with the sides strongly rounded and dilated in front 

 and much narrowed to base, with three light bands, the central one 

 narrow ; elytra with a plain denuded dark lateral patch on each side to- 

 wards margins and a short denuded line on each side of suture at base ; 



