ACOCEPHALUS ALBIFRONS. '9 



Dr. Signoret treats A. polystohis as a variety, — amongst 

 others, for " cette especepeut varier a I'mfini." More 

 importance must be given, he says, to form than to 

 colom-, and attention is called to the last ventral seg- 

 ment, which aj^proaches the form of A. iiervosiis. His 

 beautiful copper-plate representations of A. alhifrons 

 do not very well represent the markings of our British 

 insects. As to some of these foreign varieties, the above- 

 named ' Essai ' should be consulted (p. 76). 



A. alhifrons may be taken in many places and on 

 many plants. In June I found them very common on 

 strawberry plants at St. Alban's. I have also speci- 

 mens from Cornwood, near Plymouth, and from 

 Haslemere hiding under chestnut copses. 



Size, O'll to 0*16 inch, or 3-0 to 4*0 millimetres. 



Var. /3, Plate XLL, fig. 2 a. — Amongst numerous 

 examples of A. alhifrons I possess, I figure a small 

 female insect the exact species of which is not clear to 

 me. In some respects it shows affinities with the next 

 species, A. histrionicus, whilst in others it partakes of 

 the strong markings shown in Signoret' s figures of 

 A. alhifrons. The multiplication of species without 

 sufficient proof is a great evil ; and some of the work 

 incumbent on the biologist is to review lists of names 

 which have been temporarily given, by way of identi- 

 fying certain variations. When the chief characters 

 consist only of colour and size, it may be well to place 

 isolated examples under the synonymy of the species 

 of greatest resemblance. I have done this in the 

 present instance ; although I am not sure that the 

 insect under discussion should not be isolated from it. 

 The membrane of the elytron is much corrugated, and 

 four large white costal spots, with two smaller apical 

 spots, make the insect unlike the ordinary females of 

 either alhifrons or histrionicus. This insect, indeed, has 

 a considerable resemblance to Philcenus exclamationis, 

 with which genus, however, it has nothing to do. 

 Possibly the black bands have so encroached on the 



