﻿106 [October, 



Occurrence in Britain of Epurcea silacea, Hbst. — I have in my collection an 

 example of this fine species, the largest of the European Epurcew, which was given 

 to me by the Eev. Thomas Blackburn, who captured a few specimens in agarics on 

 a rotten birch stump, at the foot of Cross Craig, near Camachgouran, Rannoch, in 

 July, 1866 (see Ent. M. Mag., Vol. iii, p. 94), and appears at the time to have 

 suspected their difference from large examples of E. deleta (a species varying from 

 1 line to 1J lines), to which E. silacea is very closely allied, and from which it 

 differs as follows ; it is considerably larger (my specimen being rather over 2 lines 

 in length), proportionably broader, entirely yellow in color (i. e., there are no 

 infuscate varieties of it), rather duller, on account of its closer punctuation, and 

 its thorax is more rounded towards the front from the lower third. In the male, 

 moreover (to which sex my specimen belongs), the middle tibiae are slightly 

 widened and bent inwardly just before the apex ; the corresponding members in 

 the same sex of deleta being quite straight inwardly, and only exhibiting a 

 rectangular point at the outer apex, which is obtuse in silacea. The apical joint 

 of the club of its antennae, moreover, is (though not wider) relatively more bulky 

 than in deleta, therein approaching E. cestiva, from which its broader and flatter 

 build, sexual character, less dull appearance, and the broader lateral margins of its 

 thorax abundantly distinguish it. 



Erichson (Ins. Deutschl., iii, p. 152) says E. silacea is moderately thickly and 

 finely punctured, and uses a corresponding phrase for E. deleta; but the 

 " creberrime " and " subtiUssime " of Gyllenhal and Thomson appear to me the more 

 correct expressions. 



Of the 24 recorded European species of this difficult genus (terminalis, Mann., 

 from Russia, and rubiginosa, Heer, from Switzerland, not practically entering into 

 the account, as they appear to be unknown, except as descriptions) we now possess 

 18, 1 think correctly named and distinct, the only one at all likely to sink eventually 

 being diffusa, Bris., as possibly a depauperized form of 10-guttata ; and most, if not 

 all, of the remaining six may be expected to occur in this country. One of them, 

 indeed, viz., E. pygmcea, Gyll., has already been reputed as British in the 2nd Ed. 

 of De Marseul's Catalogue, probably from that species being included in Stephens' 

 works ; the exponents, however, of it in that author's collection appear to be only 

 E. cestiva. But there is another and more credible British reference in Hardy and 

 Bold's Catalogue of the Col. of North, and Durham, where (p. 46) it is stated to 

 occur under bark of Scotch pine, and also (App. p. 247) to be common. Mr. Bold 

 has kindly sent me examples of this insect, which must be referred to E. obsoleta. 



E. pygmasa, according to Erichson, is the same size as E. florea, oblong, flattened 

 (ovate and sub-depressed, according to Gyll.), brown, with ferruginous margins, and 

 with the middle tibiae of the male slightly bowed at the middle of their inner side, 

 and somewhat widened internally at the apex. He assimilates it to angustvla, 

 which, however, is more linear and has a longer thorax, and simple middle tibias in 

 the male. 



The 17 species of Epurcea proper contained in Stephens are in Mr. Waterhouse's 

 Catalogue Bifted down to 8, two of which are doubtfully identified, and one, 

 fuscicollis, (Wat.) Steph., is identical with the above mentioned diffusa, Bris., 

 subsequently described and brought forward as a good species. Mr. Waterhouse's 

 Catalogue coutains 12 species, one of which, E. longula, Er., was erroneously 



