2876 The Zoologist — December, 1871. 



under the name of Eurygnathus parallelus (Guerin's Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 

 1869, p. 121) to constitute a species distinct from Latreillei. As he states 

 my opinion to be ' most unphilosophical,' I feel myself compelled to say a 

 few words on the subject. No one acquainted with both forms could doubt 

 that the differences between parallelus and Latreillei, and which have beea 

 remarked and pointed out by the English author as well as by myself, are 

 far more important and striking than those which, according to Mr. Wol- 

 laston, distinguish his Pogonus salsipotens from chalceus, Masoreus arenicola 

 from Wetterhalii, Pterostichus haligena from longulus ; and if we admit with 

 him and those who follow these new theories that a long isolation has led 

 to a modification in the form of an insect, we ought certainly to expect 

 much less similarity between those individuals which live in temperate 

 Europe and those living in the almost tropical climate of the Canaries, than 

 between such as inhabit islands so near together as Porto Santo and Deserta 

 Grande. How much greater still ought to be the difference among indi- 

 viduals of Pristonychus complanatus from Europe, from Chili, from the 

 Cape, and from Australia ; of Plochionus pallens from France, California 

 and Java ; of Loricera pilicornis from Europe and America, &c. ; but, never- 

 theless, specimens from countries so distant are nearly identical, while 

 individuals from the same locality show very often much greater difference^. 

 I do not mean to deny that atmospherical circumstances might influence the 

 size or coloration of certain species, as we see in several species of Carabus, 

 Nebria, &c., but we never find among specimens of diverse stations such 

 striking and constant differences of form as those which occur between 

 Eurygnathus parallelus and Latreillei. Why attempt to force nature rather 

 than admit that there can be in that gi-oup of islands two species of 

 Eurygnathus, as well as there are twenty-three species of Calathus, fourteen 

 of Trechus, seven of Olistbopus, five of Zargus, and three of Broscus? 



" Mr. Wollaston leans on the authoiity of our lamented friend, the late 

 Dr. Schaum, and I am happy to find such homage to his memory; but 

 Dr. Schaum might have been in error in this case, as he was in that of 

 Aptinus cordicolhs, which he believed for a long time to be identical with 

 pyrenKus until, having acquired it from Sturm's collection, he convinced 

 himself of the contrary ; and I must say that he was always ready to 

 acknowledge his errors. In general, he lived in a period of reaction, and 

 was afraid of multiplying species, in order not to fall into the excesses of so 

 many entomologists who established species on the most trifling and even 

 imaginary charactei's." 



Mr. T. H. Briggs read a paper " On the Forms of Zygsena trifolii, with 

 some Pvemarks on the Question of Specific Difference as opposed to Local 

 or Phytophagic Variation in that Genus." — R. M'L. 



