63 



and Norwich present a larger proportion of the ordinary 

 European state. The blood-red dashes, however^ with 

 which the elytra of numerous insects are adorned^ I have 

 constantly remarked possess a singular tendency to be- 

 come evanescent. It is indeed almost diagnostic of the 

 genus Gymnaetron, either that its representatives should 

 be thus ornamented typically, or else that those which 

 are normally black should, when they vary, keep in view, 

 as it were, this principle for their wanderers to subscribe 

 to. Thus, I have no doubt that the G. Veronicce, Germ., 

 is but a variety of the G. niger, — an opinion which T 

 expressed in the ' Zoologist ' nine years ago. Whilst 

 commenting on the Coleoptera of Dorsetshire, I then 

 stated, that " for my own part I must confess I should 

 have doubted the G. Veronica being really distinct from 

 the G. niger, for red dashes on the elytra seem naturally 

 peculiar, more or less, to the whole genus ; and I should 

 therefore have suspected that, had occasional aberrations 

 from a black type existed (which is not unlikely), those 

 aberrations would probably assume a form which is so 

 common in the other species of the generic group*." 



The Bembidium bistriatum, Dufts., is usually much 

 paler when found in saUne districts (under which circum- 

 stances it was described as a distinct species by Mr. 

 Stephens) than when occurring in more ialand positions. 

 The Blemus areolatus, Creutz., I have frequently re- 

 marked is similarly affected in brackish places : and I 

 think it far from improbable that the Stenolophus Skrim- 

 * Zoologist, V. p. 1941. 



