1871.] 107 
Occurrence in Britain of Hylastes hederw, Schmidt.—To this species must be 
attributed the insect, of the ceconomy of which an interesting account was published 
by my friend Dr. T. Algernon Chapman, at p. 199 of vol. v of this Magazine, under 
the name of Hylurgus pilosus. Iam personally responsible for the error in the name, 
for which I can only account by the fact_that all the few British (supposed) types 
of H. pilosus seen by me are also to be referred to Schmidt’s species above mentioned : 
I have, indeed, only recently seen the true H. pilosus of Ratzeburg, of which Mr. R. 
Lawson has sent me a few specimens, taken by him under the impression that they 
were Polygraphus pubescens (which they considerably resemble), under fir-bark, 
near Scarborough, about a month ago. We, therefore, include both species on our 
list; and, as will be seen, two genera not before recorded as British must apparently 
be used for their reception. These are Cissophagus (script. Kissophagus) and 
Xylechinus, recently characterised by Chapuis, at pp. 384 and 36 of his ‘‘ Synopsis 
des Scolytides.”” In Cissophagus, formed for the reception of H. hederw, Schmidt 
(Ent. fragm., Stettin. Ent. Zeit., iv, p. 108), the funiculus of the antenna is six- 
jointed, the third joint of the tarsi is distinctly bi-lobed, and the mentum is rotun- 
date-ovate at the base ; whereas in Xylechinus, which includes only H. pilosus, Ratz. 
(Forstins., Kif., p. 178, T. vii, 4),—removed by Chapuis from Carphoborus, Hichhoff 
(not Carpoborus, as De Marseul spells it),—the funiculus is only five-jointed, the third 
joint of the tarsi is simply cordate, and the mentum is cordiform. Other characters 
are pointed out by the author, but these are sufficient for the present purpose. 
Schmidt, in describing his H. hedere, describes it as having a seven-jointed funi- 
culus, but he evidently includes the scape in that term; and Redtenbacher and 
Thomson erroneously attribute six joints to the funiculus of pilosus (Bach, Kiferfauna, 
ii, p. 144, however, gives the right number). Thomson also departs from his usual 
accuracy in stating the tibia of pilosus to be armed with “ denticulis pluribus ;” 
they are triangularly dilated, and armed at the apex with usually only two (rarely 
three) large recurved teeth, and thereis only an indication of one other denticle at 
some little distance above these. In hedere, the tibiz are less triangularly dilated, 
having about six denticles in the lower half. The antennz are stouter and shorter 
in pilosus, with very short and broad funicular joints, which are almost merged in 
the club, and a very stout and short scape. Compared as simply species, 0. hedere 
is lighter in color, not quite so elongate, and having the elytra more abruptly 
rounded behind ; its thorax is shorter, broader, slightly constricted before the apex, 
and clothed with broader, squamiform, depressed pubescence, which does not form 
so evident a dorsal ridge as in pilosus ; the individual punctures of the striz of its 
elytra are more cleanly defined, and the erect setz on the interstices are much 
stouter and longer, the squamiform pubescence also being thicker. In X. pilosus, 
moreover, the suture is more or less evidently clothed with greyish pubescence, 
and the whole insect resembles one of the smaller true Hylastes, such as H. obscurus 
(two continental types of which are labelled H. heder@ in the national collection). 
—E. C. Rysr, 10, Lower Park Field, Putney, 8.W., September, 1871. 
Note on Geotrupes stercorarius, Linn.—Thomson (Skand. Col., x, p. 330) refers 
putridarius, Esch., Er., to this species as a synonym, and re-names the stercorarius of 
Erichson (nec Linn.) mesoleius, from a new character which he has recorded for it, 
in the freedom from pubescence of the middle of its abdominal segments (a cha- 
