CURCULIONID^. 183 



{Ent. Mo. Mag. xl. (2 Ser. xv.) 1904, 79), however, says that Jl sericeus, 

 Herbst., is not a British insect at all, and that it is easily distinguished 

 from B. ophthalmictts, Steph.,byits larger size, brighter metallic colour, 

 and the fact that the elytral interstices are multipunctate. Numerous 

 specimens were captured by him in Northern Spain in 1903. 



The above synonymy must stand, as Stephens' name appeared two 

 years before Gyllenhal's. 



APION, Herbst. 

 A. (Exapion) Kiesenwetteri, Desbr. (]Mittheil. Schweiz. Ent. 

 Ges. iii. p. 204 (1870)). Black, dull, with the upper side clothed with 

 whitish pubescence, with the bi-east at the sides more thickly clothed 

 with white pubescence, base of antennae and legs rufescent, the knees, 

 apex of tibial and the tarsi being blaclv ; head strongly transverse, 

 closely punctured ; eyes large, moderately prominent ; rostrum almost 

 straight, not veiy long, strongly dilated and toothed at the base, and 

 from thence cylindrical ; the antenna3 are inserted at its base ; thorax 

 slightly transverse, rounded and somewhat dilated at the sides, closely 

 and deeply punctured ; elytra elliptical, with regular rows of punctures, 

 interstices flat, finely punctured. 



Male with the eyes large, the elytra subparallel, and the first joint 

 of the posterior tarsi produced into a tooth on the inner side ; joints 

 3-7 of the funiculus transverse. 



Female with the forehead broader, the elytra ovate, and joints 2-5 

 of the funiculus not transverse and more slender. L. 2-2|^ mm. 



Chattenden, Kent, not uncommon on Genista tinctoria (J. J. Walker 

 and G. C. Champion) ; Sandown, Isle of Wight, one specimen (W. 

 Holland) ; Ditchling, Sussex (Donisthorpe and Dollman). Mr. Holland 

 first brought this insect before Mr. Champion's notice as a new British 

 species, and the latter introduced it as such in the Ent. INIo. Mag. for 

 March 1907, p. 52. Two males had been standing in his collection as 

 .1. fuscirost7-e, to which insect it is very closely allied ; it is, however, 

 smaller and less elongate, with the rostrum shorter and more strongly 

 dentate at the base ; the thorax is more rounded at the sides and more 

 transverse ; the elytra are not compressed at the sides ; the fine 

 clothing of the upper surface is closer and more uniform ; and, 

 according to Mr. Champion, the oblique streak at the shoulder is quite 

 absent (this, however, does not seem to be always the case, although 

 it is not marked) ; from A. genista the species may be known by the 

 more dilated thorax and the stronger tooth at the base of the rostrum ; 

 it is almost the same size and shape as A. semivittatum, from which it 

 may be distinguished by the more rounded thorax and the basal 

 dentation of the more slender rostrum. 



A. cantianum, Wagn. (Miinch. k. Z. iii. 33). A. hrevicorne, 

 Schilsky (KUst. Die Kiifer. Eur. xxxix. 31). Similar to A. Jilirostre 

 in shape and colour, and very like that species, but with the antennae 

 shorter and stouter, the thorax much more finely punctured, the 



