﻿1869.] 107 



identified, being only a disguised E. obsoleta : the true longula, has, however, been 

 subsequently taken by Drs. Sharp and Power and myself at Esher. It is allied 

 to E. oblonga, obsoleta, andflorea; from the first of which its darker antennal club, 

 less linear and less flat form and stronger punctuation, — from (immaculate vars. 

 of) the second its lighter colour, more linear and parallel form, and the much 

 less degree of emargination, and, consequently, less prominent angles of the front 

 of its thorax, — and from the third its darker antennal club, narrower form, and the 

 slight anterior emargination of its thorax (which is not, as in florea, truncate), will 

 serve to distinguish it.— E. C. Rye, 7, Park Field, Putney, S.W., Sept. 1869. 



Occurrence in Britain of Mycetophagus fulvicollis, Fab. — Among some British 

 Necrophaga recently sent to me for names by Mr. J. R. Hardy, of Hulme, is a 

 damaged example of this rare and very interesting species. Its fades is much 

 more that of one of the Heteromera (such as Mycetochares) than of a Mycetophagus ; 

 indeed, it was placed by Fabricius in his genus Birccea. Having the five apical 

 joints of the antennae thickened, and the lateral margins of the thorax finely 

 crenulated, it is most closely allied to M. multvpunctatus, but is utterly unlike that 

 species. In color it slightly resembles certain varieties of M. piceus (which insect, 

 also, it about equals in length), having a black head, with reddish mouth ; red 

 thorax ; ^pitchy elytra, on which are two yellowish- white bands (the upper one 

 curved obliquely backwards and not reaching the suture, and the lower one 

 transverse, but slightly curved) with a minute light spot between them, situated on 

 the narrow reddish-yellow margin ; and reddish-yellow legs and antennaa, of which 

 the club is darker. But its elongate, narrow shape, long pubescence, coarsely 

 punctate-striate elytra, and thorax rather narrowest behind, at once separate 

 M. fulvicollis from all its allies. 



Mr. Hardy informs me that he captured the specimen above mentioned in 

 June, 1865, in a fungus near the saw-mill at Ball, Bannoch. — Id. 



Note on Otiorhynchus fuscipes, Walton. — It will no doubt be in the recollection 

 of the readers of this periodical, that Mr. Rye, some two or three years back 

 (vol. ii, p. 181), raised in its pages the question as to the correctness of an elaborate 

 paper of the late Mr. Walton's on Otiorhynchus tenebricosus and fuscipes, Olivier. 

 Mr. Rye's opinion was, however, immediately challenged by Mr. Smith (p. 232), 

 who supported Mr. Walton's verdict, and made at the same time some very 

 sagacious remarks as to the discrepancy existing between Mr. Walton's description 

 of 0. fuscipes, 01., and a specimen of Dr. Stierlin's standing undeir that name 

 in the British Museum Collection. Mr. Crotch at the same time expressed an 

 opinion confirmative of Mr. Walton's, and it is with pleasure that I now add 

 my testimony to the correctness of Mr. Walton's remarks. I have recently 

 made careful examination of some specimens, and have no hesitation in saying that 

 we have two distinct species corresponding most accurately with the characters 

 laid down by Mr. Walton as distinguishing 0. fuscipes, and tenebricosus. Indeed, 

 to render Mr. Walton's remarks as to the specific characters of the two insects 

 perfect, it is only necessary to add to them that in the male of 0. fuscipes the 

 longitudinal striaa of the last abdominal segment are considerably finer and more 

 closely packed than is the case in 0. tenebricosus. The question as to whether 



