1 8 January, 



Otiorrhynchus sulcatus, F. — -This beetle has long been known as injurious to 

 vines, strawberries, and sometimes to raspberries, and I have recorded the larvse as 

 having damaged maidenhair ferns by attacking the roots ; this latter fact has lately 

 been confirmed by gardeners in Lincoln, and they have also found injuiy done to the 

 roots of Cyclamens by the larvse, as well as to the leaves of DraccencB, and to the 

 leaves of peach trees in orchard houses by the perfect insects ; in case of attack of 

 larvse the best remedy is to remove the surface soil, or, in the case of pot-plants, to 

 re-pot, after carefully cleansing the roots ; the perfect insects feed by night, and may 

 then be captui'cd in numbers by placing sheets under the vines, &c., and beating the 

 branches. — Id. 



yote on Komaloplia ruj'icola, Fabr. — The black variety of this species is sup- 

 posed to be much rarer than the ordinary form in Britain, but I doubt if this is 

 really the case. I have not, however, had the good fortune to meet with the species 

 here, but noticing it in the gi-eatest profusion last year at Vernet, I bottled a large 

 number of specimens, of which more than half were of the dark variety. At V^ernet 

 the insect frequented the Cistiis flowers in the hottest sunshine, and appeared to be 

 soon over. It is probable that it only lasts a short time here. — Gr. C. Champion, 

 Horsell, Woking : December 12th, 1892. 



Note on Throscus carinifrons, de Bonv., and some other species of the genus. — 

 Throscus carinifrons occurred in plenty to Mr. Saunders and myself by evening 

 sweeping in this neighbourhood on June 27th last, and on mounting some of the 

 specimens I noticed a character in the form of the prosternum by which the species 

 differs considerably from the commoner t. dermestoides, Linn. The prosternum in 

 T. dermestoides is almost flat, with the marginal carina faint and obliterated an- 

 teriorly ; in T. carinifrons (as in T. ohtusus), it is rather convex, with the marginal 

 carina entire, and much more sharply defined. In T. carinifrons it bears some 

 scattered, fine, deep punctures on the anterior part, of which there is no trace in T. 

 dermestoides. The form of the prosternum is not noticed by de Bonvouloir. The 

 genus Aulonothroscus, Horn, only differs from Throscus in having a " deep, sharply 

 defined groove in the metasternum, beginning at the middle coxae, and slightly 

 curving outwardly, terminating at the posterior angle of the metasternuai ;" this 

 groove being shallow and not sharply defined in Throscus. This character also was 

 overlooked by de Bonvouloir, at least three of his species — the North- American T. 

 punctatus and T. constrictor, and the Australian T. elongatus — belonging to Aulono- 

 throscus. The European species known to me all belong to Throscus. The genus 

 Aulonothroscus is widely distributed in the jN^ew World, ranging from the United 

 States to Brazil, and numerous species have already been referred to it by Dr. 

 Horn. — Id. 



Note on Dyschirius obscurus, Gyll. — Mr. F. Bates has recently submitted to 

 me several examples of this doubtful British species for verification. They were 

 found mixed with other Dyschirii in the lato Dr. Boswell Syme's collection, a por- 

 tion of which has been acquired by Mr. Bates, and there can be little, if any, doubt 

 of their British origin. Dr. Syme, as is well knovn, collected chiefly in Scotland. 

 Unfortunately, none of the insects in his collection bear locality labels. — Id. 



