Hijlesinus.'] RHYNCHOPHORA. 417 



decay, and so opens the way for hundreds of other insects which bring 

 about their complete disintegration. 



I. Upper side black, with at most the suture of elytra greyish 



white, 

 i. Size larger (4-5 mm.) ; sculpture coarser ; funicnlus of 



antenuaj as long as the club ; elytra unicolorons black . H. CRBSATU3, F. 

 ii. Size much smaller (2-2 mm.) ; sculpture less coarse; 



fnniculus of antennte shorter than club ; elytra black with 



the suture greyish white ." H. OLEIPERDA, F. 



II. Elytra brown or pitchy-brown, variegated with greyish 



scales, presenting a patchy appearance; length 2-3 mm. 



5. Episterna of inetasternum very broad and rather short ; 

 size larger; elytra without a white patch extending from 

 shoulder to middle of suture H. FRIXIXI, Panz. 



ii. Episterna of inetasternum very long and narrow 

 (Pteleolius, Bedel) ; each elvtron with a white patch ex- 

 tending from shoulder to middle of suture, the patches 

 enclosing between them a common, more or less marked, 

 oval dark patch H. VITTATDS, F. 



H. crenatus, F. Of rather short and broad form, convex, black, 

 somewhat shiny, subglabrous ; antennae ferruginous or pitchy ferru- 

 ginous, with the scape and funiculus furnished with very long ciliate 

 hairs on their external margin, the funiculus being as long as the club ; 

 thorax slightly transverse, with the sides narrowed and somewhat com- 

 pressed in front, coarsely and somewhat granulosely punctured in front, 

 less closely and more distinctly behind ; elytra with very strong crenate 

 striae, interstices very rough niuricate or tuberculate, with the punctures 

 of the striae almost meeting in places ;*4egs black or pitchy, with the 

 tarsi usually lighter ; the colour is usually deep black, but the elytra are 

 often more or less reddish and occasionally ferruginous. L. 4-5 mm. 



Oomer, Ac. ; Hastings; Netley ; New Forest; Glanvilles Wootton ; South Devon; 

 Monmouthshire and Herefordshire, very local; Swansea; Midland districts, very 

 local, the only locality 1 knew of being Reptou, Emton-on-Trent, until Mr. Bland- 

 ford informed me that he had found it very common and destructive about Madeley 

 in North Staflbrdshrre ;* Liverpool and Manchester district, general; Scarborough; 

 Northumberland and Duiham district; Scotland, Forth and Tay districts, " near 

 Edinburgh, Kinross-shire, Forfarshire, Murray's Cat.;" it is probably general 

 throughout the kingdom, but through being very local in many districts it is passed 



over. 



H. oleiperda, F. Short and broad, convex, but depressed on disc, 



black, slightly shining, elytra covered with somewhat raised blackish or 



* Mr. Blandford says of this insect: "I believe this is really a very injurious 

 insect when it occurs ; I have often found it in well grown dead ash trees, which 

 showed no signs of injury or decay beyond the presence of this insect ; " Eichhoff has 

 remarked the same; in young trees the very long horizontal galleries of the larvae 

 may completely encircle the tree, thus entirely cutting off the circulation. 



VOL. V. 



K 6 



