RHYNCHOPHORA. 313 



gall in the centre of tlie flowering head of the plant ; common and generally distri- 

 buted throughout the kingdom ; iu winter it is often fonnd hibernating in cracks of 

 bark, moss, Ac, 



M. circulatus, Marsh (marginatus, Beck. ; Jlmbriatus, Germ.). 

 Very like the preceding, but smaller and more depressed and easily 

 distinguished by the broadly light margins of thorax and elytra ; pitchy 

 black or pitchy brown ; rostrum rather stout, curved, black ; antennae 

 red \vith the apex dark ; thorax as long as broad, closeiy and finely 

 punctured, with a narroAv smooth central line which is often covered 

 with whitish scales; scutellum white; elytra with rather shallow 

 punctured striae ; interstices finely punctured ; i'emora black, not toothed, 

 tibia? and tarsi red. L. 2|-2f mm. 



Male with the antennae inserted in front of middle of rostrum which 

 is evidently shorter 



Female with the antennae inserted about the middle of rostrum which 

 is evidently longer. 



On Plantago lanceolata ; also on P. eoronopus ; occasionally found bv sweeping, 

 and, in the winter, under bark ; not common ; Wey bridge, Sheemess, Chatham ; 

 Hi-uley ; Barhain, Suffolk ; Amberley and Arundel Park ; Littlehainpton ; Sonthsea ; 

 Isle of Wight (where I found a fine series iu April, 1-588, on the cliffs near Sundown) ; 

 Portland ; Glanvilles Wootton ; Devon ; Swansea ; Wallasey, Cheshire. 



M. collaris, Germ. This species is less cylindrical and differs 

 considerably in sculpture from the two preceding and forms a sort of 

 transition between Mecinus and &ymnetron, under which all three 

 species are classed by some authors ; oblong- oval, somewhat elongate, 

 bJack, or reddish black (in immature specimens reddish or reddish 

 testaceous), rather shining, with scanty grey pubescence, posterior 

 margin of thorax and sides of breast closely covered with reddish 

 yellow scales ; rostrum short and stout, punctured, nearly straight ; 

 antennae pitchy with the base sometimes lighter ; thorax with the 

 sides slightly rounded, and narrowed in front, very closely punctured ; 

 elytra elongate-oval, with shallow but distinctly punctured striae, 

 interstices indistinctly punctured ; legs black or pitchy. L. 2| 3 

 mm. 



Male with the antennae inserted further in front of middle of rostrum 

 than in female. 



Salt marshes ; on Plantago coronopvs and P. tnaritima ; the larvae appear to form 

 galls at the base of the flowering head of the plant; occasionally iu flood refuse; 

 very local, and, as a rule, rare; Chatham and Sheerness (Walker); Gravesend 

 (S. Stevens) ; neighbourhood of Southampton ; Southsea, Salterns, in i.uml ers 

 (Monereaff) ; Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire (Chappell); the insect may be easily reared 

 from the galls. 



ANTHONOMINA. 



As far as the European fauna is concerned, this tribe, as here consti- 

 tiited, contains the two species Anfhonortnis and Brachonyx, which may 

 be distinguished by their very prominent eyes, and by having the tarsal 



