416 Mr. J. Walton on the yenus Anthouomiis. 



XLIII. — Notes, ^c. on the genus of Insects Anthonomus ; with a 

 description of one new species. By John Walton, F.L.S. 



Fam. CURCULIONID^. 

 Genus Anthonomus, Germ., Schonh., Steph., Curt. 

 There is the greatest imaginable confusion amongst the species 

 of this very pretty and interesting genus of insects ; ten have 

 been catalogued and described as specifically distinct, but I must 

 confess my inability to distinguish out of thair number more than 

 four ; notwithstanding all the care I have taken, it is very pos- 

 sible I may have erred or blundered ; should this be the case, I 

 must plead the infirmity of human judgement, from which the 

 most skilful cannot claim exemption, and I can only say I shall 

 feel truly obliged if any entomologist will have the kindness to 

 point out any errors I may have inadvertently committed, and 

 thus give me an opportunity of correcting them before the con- 

 clusion of my notes on this family of insects. 



§ A. Anterior femora strongly dentate. 



1. Anthonomus Pomorum, Linn. sec. ej. Mus. et Auctor. alior. 



— incurvus, Steph. sec. ej. Mus., non Panz. 



There are foreign specimens of Ant. incurvus in the collec- 

 tion of Kirby from Gyllenhal, and others in my possession from 

 Schonherr; it is a small insect (length \^ line), about one-third 

 the size of Ant. Pomorum, from which it only differs by being 

 much less and inhabiting a different plant ; according to the opi- 

 nion of Gyllenhal, ' scarcely a distinct species,^ and to Germar, 

 ' obsoletely distinct -' in Sweden it inhabits the bird cherry [Pru- 

 nus Padus), and possibly may be found on that plant in this 

 country, where it grows wild in the mountainous districts of the 

 north of England and in Scotland. I have not yet seen an indi- 

 genous specimen. 



I may refer to some very interesting observations relative to 

 the habits and oeconomy of Ant. Pomorum in Mr. Curtis' s ' Bri- 

 tish Entomology,' vol. ii., and in the 'Ent. Mag.' vol. i. p. 33. 



Found on the blossoms of the apple- and pear-tree from about 

 the 25th of May to the 15th of June, and under the bark in 

 winter ; the late Mr. Bainbridge reared many specimens, either 

 from the larvae or pupae, I forget which, obtained from the buds 

 or the rust-coloured blossoms of the apple. 



2. A. Ulmi, DeGeer, Marsh., GylL, Steph., Schonh., Kirb. MSS. 



— pedicularius. Germ. Mag. iv. p. 322. 



— Druparum var., Steph. sec. ej. Mus., non Linn. 

 — fasciatus, Kirb. MSS. 



The form, sculpture, and general habit of this insect approxi- 



