﻿256 [April, 



This species varies considerably in size and colour. It generally 

 stands in our collections as Hydrobius bipustulaius of Stephens ; but, as 

 Stephens' description of that species does riot accord with the present 

 insect, and as the species has not yet been distinguished (so far as I 

 am aware) by foreign entomologists, I have been obliged to give it a 

 new name. 



3. A. BiPUSTULATTJS, Stephens, 111. Brit. Ent., ii, 133 {Hydrobius). 



Late ovalis, sat convexus ; capite nigro utringue macula magna ante 



oculos testacea, antennarum basi palpisgue testaceis, Ms articulo 



ultimo piceo; prothorace testaceo, disco plus minusve infuscato ; 



elytris testaceis, nigro-irroratis ; pedibus testaceis. 



Long. 1 — lilin. 



Common in England, and sometimes taken in numbers with the 

 water-net ; but I have never found it in Scotland. 



The colour differences in this species are of themselves sufficient 

 to separate it from the foregoing. I would especially call attention to 

 the large marks on the head as a never failing character. Though, as 

 I have stated above, the preceding species is generally called bipustu- 

 laius, Stephens, and the present one ochraceus, Steph., yet, as Stephens' 

 description of Hydrobius bipustulatus agrees well with this species, and 

 his description of H. ochraceus cannot possibly be applied to it, I have 

 felt no hesitation in changing the name, so as to make it accord with 

 the Stephensian description. 



Eccles, Thornhill, Dumfries, 

 February, 1870. 



Note on the occurrence in Britain of Tomicus nigritus, Qyll., and Dryoscetes alni, 

 Georg. — Some time back Mr, Crotch was kind enough to forward on my behalf an 

 example of a species of Tomicus, distinct from any hitherto recorded as British, to 

 Herr Eichhoff, the great authority for that genus. This has been returned 

 as T. suturalis, now considered the female of nigritus, Gyll., which must therefore, 

 be added to our list. I captured my specimen in Strath Glass, Inverness-shire. 

 Mr. Crotch also informs me that he also forwarded to Herr Eichhoff a specimen of 

 the Tomicus described provisionally by Mr. Rye as T. Marshami, and that it is con- 

 sidered by Herr Eichhoff to be Dryoscetes alni, Georg. — D. Sharp, Eccles, Thornhill, 

 Dumfries, February, 1870. 



Dryoscetes alni, Georg. — Without doubting the correctness of Herr Eichhoff 

 (who, I presume, possesses or has examined Dryoscetes alni) in referring my Tomicus 

 (D.) Marshami to that species, I would simply observe that the tree mentioned by 

 Georg (Stettin. Ent. Zeit., 1856 p. 59) as that in which his insect lives is the alder, 

 whereas Marshami was found in beech ; and that his description is so unsatisfactory 



