0» MR. W. F. KIRBT ON THE 



*tAsPONGOPIJS JANUS. 



Cimex janus, Fabr. Syst. Ent. p. 714, n. 85 (1775). 



Aspongopus janus, Afk. J. A. S. B. Iviii. p. 88 (1889). 



A common East-Indian species, originally described by Fabri- 

 cius as American. Mr. Green's specimens are labelled " Torigan, 

 Jan. 1890." 



*AspoNaoptrs obscuetjs. 



Ciraes obscurus, Fahr. Ent. Syst. iv. p. 107, n. 106 (1794). 

 Aspongopus obscurus, Ath. J. A. S. B. Iviii. p. 88 (1889). 

 A common East-Indian species. 



*t Aspongopus nigeiventeis. 



Aspongopus nigriventris, Hope, Cat. Hem. p. 2& (1837). 



A common East-Indian species. 



^fPLACOSTEENUM TAUEUS. 



Cimes taurus, Fabr. Spec. Ins. ii. p. 344, n. 34 (1781). 



Placosternum taurus, Atk. J. A. S. B. Ivii. p. 159 (1888). 



Var. (?) Placosternum alces, StFtl, Vet.-Akad. Handl. (2) xiv. (4) p. 107 

 (1876); Atk. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. Iviii. p. 160 (1888). 



Var. (?) Placosternum urus, Stul, I. c. (1876). 



A common East-Indian insect. Until a long series of specimens 

 are compared from various localities, it seems to me hazardous to 

 attempt to separate the various forms into species, especially as 

 some of the specimens in the series in the British Museum ex- 

 hibit the characters which Stal assigns to the true P. taurus in 

 much higher degree than the actual type of Eabricius. 



Mr. Green has met with the smallest form on trunks of trees ; 

 it is a hill-country form (Pundaloya) and has an odour of Jar- 

 gonelle pears. The largest form is a low-country insect (Co- 

 lombo), and a middle-sized form occurs at Nawalapitya, at an 

 intermediate elevation. 



Mr. Green regards them as distinct species, but he has only 

 met with the small form himself; and I do not think that we 

 have sufficient information to decide the question positively, at 

 present. 



*(?) Phyllocephala ^gyptiaca. 



Pentatoma ^gyptiaca, Lef. Mag. Zool. i. pi. 20 (1831). 



The only authority for the occurrence of this species in Ceylon 

 is a specimen in the British Museum from Mr. Paul's collection, 

 which, in all probability, is really from Egypt. 



