﻿1869,] 133 



Additions to the List of British Coleoptera. 



Bjembidium maritimum, Steph. — Frequenting the banks of the rivers and streams 

 here, I capture frequently a Bembidium allied to, but distinct from, B. femoratum. 

 This species, which I will, for the present, speak of as " No. 1," is, on the average, 

 rather larger than femoratum, and has the head, thorax, and dark portions of the 

 elytra of a distinct metallic green colour; while these parts in femoratum are of a 

 darkish brassy colour : No. 1 has, at the least, three joints at the base of the 

 antennae entirely pale, and the bases of the following joints more or less pale ; while 

 in femoratum at most the two basal joints are entirely pale, and the base of the 

 third is more or less so. The antennae of No. 1 are markedly longer than in 

 femoratum, and the colour of the palpi is much paler. Moreover, in No. 1, the 

 elytra are broader in proportion to their length than in femoratum, and natter 

 on the disc ; the thorax, also, is a little broader in proportion to its length, and is 

 flatter than in femoratum. In No. 1, the legs are generally entirely pale (but 

 sometimes the thighs are a little clouded with pitchy in the middle) ; while in 

 femoratum the femora are always pitchy. The careful examination of a long series 

 of these insects has convinced me that we have here to do with two really distinct, 

 though closely allied, and in some respects variable, species. 



In his " Illustrations," and in the " Manual of British beetles," Stephens has 

 described a Bembidium (Peryphus) maritimum, closely allied to femoratum, and 

 found by Mr. Rudd on the banks of the Tees ; and, though the descriptions in both 

 places are characterized by that looseness and want of precision which so greatly 

 mar Stephens' descriptive works, I am of opinion that this P. maritimus of Stephens 

 is the species I have above alluded to as No. 1 ; and consider that, in the absence 

 of any opposing reason, the Stephensian name should be adopted for this insect. 

 Such a reason, unfortunately, exists ; for there stands in the European catalogue a 

 Bembidium maritimum of Kuster ; and, although the description of this species is 

 subsequent to Stephens', yet the inadequacy of the latter author can scarcely 

 warrant us in making the change, which the adoption of the name maritimum for 

 the species allied to femoratum would render imperative. Schaum, moreover, 

 informs us that Peryphus maritimus is represented in the Stephensian cabinet by 

 two examples of B. bruxellense, one of concinnum, and one of littorale ! 



Duval, in his monograph of this genus, has assigned (it would appear without 

 sufficient reason) P. maritimus of Stephens as a synonym to B. concinnum, and is 

 followed in this respect by Harold and Gemminger in their general catalogue. In 

 Mr. Waterhouse's synonymical catalogue, maritimus, Steph., is given under the 

 head of femoratum (following Dawson). 



Duval, when speaking of Bembidium femoratum, alludes to a variety of that 

 species, coming from the Pyrenees and from England, which he at one time sup- 

 posed to be a distinct species, and proposed to name B. puellum, but afterwards 

 supposed he had connected this form satisfactorily with femoratum. The charac- 

 ters he gives for this variety in some respects agree with the insect I have been 

 writing of above ; but in other points they disagree ; thus, as no sufficient descrip- 

 tions exists of Duval's puellum, and it is, also, as I say, doubtful whether it can be 

 assigned to the species under discussion ; as Stephen's name of maritimum (likewise 

 doubtfully appertaining to this insect) is not available ; and as no other description 

 will apply, it seems to me that, I am justified in giving a name to the insect in 



