^^ [Septemb 
by the late Mr. Ashworth in North Wales was sent, amongst othi 
insects, for names, by Mr. Edleston ; and Dr. Power has proposed f.l 
it the name of Ashworthi, in case of its proving an undescribed specie 
There is, I think, no doubt it is the H. ohsoletus of Aube. Its occurreni 
in this country is remarkable and unexpected ; for it is a native 
Syria, and Southern (more especially South-eastern,) Europe. Tl 
geographical distribution in Europe, however, of several species / 
Hydroporus is most eccentric. Thus, H. 5-Uneatus has been found on 
in Lapland and on the borders of England and Scotland, and 1 
xantlwpus, Steph., only in Southern Europe and Britain, and yet I ha' 
taken these two species near Dumfries on the same day, and in 
same pond. 
H. NIQEITA. 
Under this name we have mixed in our collections two specie 
the synonymy of which is very complicated. In my referenc. 
given below, I have omitted to quote the earlier authors, as tl 
descriptions of Fabricius, and even of Gyllenhal, are altogether ui. 
certain ; with respect to the latter author it is however necessary 1 
remark that, in the 9th vol. of Sk. Col , Thomson has reversed tl 
interpretations generally given to Gyllenhal's descriptions of B. puhe 
cens and nigrita, because Gyllenhal says that pubescens is shorter an 
broader than nigrita. In direct opposition to this change is, howeve 
the colour given by Gyllenhal ; for he says of puhescens that the elytr 
are testaceous, a term which might be correctly applied (at least \ 
some of its vars.) to the species generally called H. pubescens, GylL 
but which is totally inapplicable to the species which Thomson no' 
proposes to so designate. Nevertheless, Thomson's remark is in itsei 
perfectly correct, and it must be understood that the assignment of th, 
description of H. pubescens, GylL, to the insect we know by that namd 
is conventional, and traditional, rather than evident from the descrip 
tion itself. 
The two species we have mixed as H. nigrita are — 
1. A black Hydropojus very like fl. pubescens, GylL, but shorter, darker! 
colour, and with rather denser punctuation : this species is clothed above with 
distinct pubescence, the removal of which leaves the upper surface of the insec 
shining. The synonymy appears to be,— H. discretus, Fair., Ann. Fr., 1859, p. 28 
Sch., Ins. Deutsch., i, 2nd pt., p. 64; H. nigrita, Sturm. Ins. Deutsch., ix. 56 
Th., Sk. Col., ii, 24 ; H. pubescens, Th., Sk. Col., ix, 79. 
2. A black Hydroporus in which the punctuation and pubescence is very mud 
more sparing than in the preceding species, and whoso upper surface is dull, owiuj 
