Entomological Society. 



5946 



studying (destructor, Oliv., intricatus, Ratzeb., and multistriatus, Marsh., Ratzeh), 

 whose larvsB subsist chiefly on the inner bark, occasionally only attacking the sap-wood 

 in their progress, and, when full-fed, assuming the pupa state at the end of the bur- 

 row, or in a very shallow cell excavated in the sap-wood ; whilst, on the other hand, 

 the larvjB of the insect now before us appear to derive their chief sustenance from the 

 solid wood, into which they penetrate deeply, the outer surface presenting only faint 

 traces of erosion. 



"The genus Scolytus, first instituted by Geoff'roy, but to which our continental 

 brethren persist in applying the more recent generic appellation of Eccoptogaster, pro- 

 posed by Herbst, at present contains upwards of a dozen described European repre- 

 sentatives, all of which subsist upon trees indigenous to or generally cultivated in this 

 country. Of these five only are at present known to me as natives, viz., — 1. S. Eatze- 

 burgii, ynihi, Ent. Annual for 1856, p. 87 (destructor, Eric, Ratzeb., nec Oliv.), fre- 

 quenting the birch, and probably confined to the northern portions of our island ; 

 2. S. destructor, 0/iv., abundantly distributed throughout the southern and central 

 portions of England, and which attacks the elm, confining itself, however, to the trunk 

 and large limbs ; 3. S. multistriatus. Marsh., Ratzeb., also peculiar to the elm, where 

 it is occasionally found in company with the preceding, but more generally alone and 

 in the small branches; 4. S. intricatus, Ratzeb., a denizen of the oak, and, according 

 to my experience, attacking the branches only ; 5. S. rugulosus, Ratzeb., the species 

 now before you, and which, as we have seen, inhabits the smaller branches of the pear 

 tree; on the Continent, Ratzeburg informs us, it occurs in plum and apple trees. 

 Eatzeburg (/. c.) has thus divided the genus : — 



§ 1. Abdomen beneath, in at least one of the sexes, with tubercles or teeth. 

 § 2. Abdomen beneath without tubercles or teeth. 



Of the ascertained British species, Ratzeburgii, destructor and multistriatus pertain 

 to the first section, intricatus and rugulosus to the second. S. rugulosus may be at 

 once distinguished from its near ally (intricatus) by its smaller size, deeper, coarser 

 and rngulose sculpture, and by the punctures on the interstices of the elytra, arranged 

 in regular rows, being of equal depth and size with those of the true or normal striae ; 

 in rugulosus, moreover, the apex of the elytra is usually more or less broadly red. I 

 would further remark that the beautiful series of specimens, which I owe to the kind 

 forethought of Mr. Groves, has enabled me to determine a solitary individual in Mr. 

 WoUaston's collection, taken by that gentleman, several years since, at St. Neot's, and 

 which has long caused me much perplexity, but which I have now no doubt is refer- 

 rible to the S. rugulosus. In conclusion, I would earnestly recommend this genus to 

 the careful attention of my brother entomologists, as offering an ample field not only 

 for the discovery of new species and the augmentation of their collections, but for elu- 

 cidating a question of vast importance to the community at large, and to which I have 

 already adverted." 



At the Meeting of November, 1857, Mr. F. Walker read the following 

 Notes on Aphis Quercus, 



" Having lately taken a few specimens of the Aphis Quercus of Linneus, I beg 

 leave to off*er to the Entomological Society a few notes on that species. It was first 

 discovered by Mr. Ingall, in 1847, on an oak at Dulwich ; Mr. Smee found it soon 

 XVI. N 



