69 



C. sociuSy originally deacribed (as above referred to) by SchoulieiT, with the sole 

 locality " Anglia. Mus. Bom. Walton^'^ has always been regarded with doubt as 

 British, not only on account of its genus being apparently exclusively South- 

 European, but because there was no reference to it in Mr. Walton's " Notes," and 

 no representative of it (apparently) in his collection (the types of which are now 

 in Brit. Mus.) ; and, possibly, because, in the Stettin. Ent. Zeit., 48, p. 346, he 

 states that the origin of the specimen ceded to Schonherr was unknown to him. 

 Seidlitz, 1. c, 134, notices this remark of Walton, and (note) explains that by 

 mistake socius is quoted in the Stett. Ent. Z. as horridus ; and from these data he 

 reasonably considers the reference of socius to England as founded on error. 

 Seidlitz's only locality for the species is the Sierra Nevada. 



Mistake seems to have followed C. socius hitherto in all its references ; but I 

 imagine that the I. of Wight specimen above-mentioned will enable me to sub- 

 stantiate the authenticity of the species as British. On inquiring at the Brit. Mus. 

 I am informed that Walton's single specimen was retained, by Schonherr, who 

 founded the species on it. This agrees with the statement by Seidlitz, that 

 Schonhen-'s type-example is labelled " Anglia. Walton." This type appears, 

 according to Seidlitz, to be an abraded male, structurally entirely identical with 

 males from the Sierra Nevada, with the exception of an evidently individual ab- 

 normal formation of the rostrum ; and, according to the same author, it entirely 

 agrees with Schonherr's description, with the exception of reference to this 

 peculiarity, and to the structure of the scape of the antennae. 



There can be no doubt, however, that Mr. Walton possessed two specimens, 

 both abraded, of this insect ; since, on the sale of his general collection, Mr. G. R. 

 Waterhouse purchased, amongst other insects, one labelled (erroneously) " Ccenopsis 

 Waltoni,'^ in Mr. Walton's own handwriting, which is distinctly (being a male, 

 luckily) identical wdth my recent I. of Wight example. Some accidental confusion 

 of labelling, possibly at a time when Mr. Walton was not so well acquainted with 

 these insects, must have taken place, in order to account for this palpable mistake 

 (the insect in no way agreeing with the well-known C. Waltoni) ; and it is evident 

 fi'om Mr. Walton's statement in the Stett. Ent. Zeit. that he knew nothing of his 

 possessing this second specimen, — which, indeed, is so exceedingly bereft of scales 

 and bristles as to be likely to escape attention. 



C. socius seems distinguishable from all its congeners but the Pyrenaean and 

 instantly separable cordicollis by the shape of the antennal grooves, which are not 

 linear, but pit-like, irregulai', and conspicuous from above. In the male the 

 scape of the antennae is suddenly and angularly dilated close to the base, and 

 curved. In a fresh example, Hke mine, the thorax has the sides and a middle line 

 yellowish, and the elytra densely covered with scales, presenting a dull and somewhat 

 tesselated appearance, the interstices being set with light bristles. The only British 

 species with which it could by accident be confounded is Trachyphlceus squamulatus^ 

 from which its rather larger size, longer and less obtusely rounded elytra, &c., will 

 serve to distinguish it, — apart from its evident structural diflferences. 



Seidlitz remarks that the granuliform, connate, somewhat shining clothing of 

 the under-side of all the species of Cathorraiocerus will always serve to distinguish 

 them from their allies.— E. C. Rye, 7, Park Field, Putney, S.W., July, 1868. 



