61 
which one would think most unsuited to it—the great strong rough¬ 
leaved comfrey. This is one of the plants given in the books as 
supporting asperi folia mm, and I was pleased to be able to verify what 
had seemed to me an unlikely connection. But to return once more 
to the net and its contents. If now we sweep yonder bed of shepherd’s 
purse, a number of little dark blue atoms will in all probability be the 
result. These, though appreciably smaller than the two species 
already mentioned, still belong to the genus Ceuthorrlojnchus, and are 
named contractus, in allusion to the habit, before referred to, which is 
common to them all. I take this little weevil from < 'apsella bursa- 
pastoris alone, in widely separated spots in the Valley. Yet a fourth 
species of Ceuthorrlujnclius should be found in those damper spots where 
grows the pale-dowered t'ardamine pratensis, the “ milkmaids” of the 
country children. This, called ( '. cocldeariae, from its being also attached 
to the plant genus < Wide aria, is not unlike C. contractus, but is distinctly 
larger, and has a white spot at the scutellum. But the fifth, and the 
last of this genus, time permits me to mention, is to my mind the 
prettiest of them all. It is of the size of asperi foliarum, but instead 
of being black is thickly covered with greyish scales, and across the 
wing-cases runs a zigzag white line which has the appearance of a 
rough W, from which mark it takes the name triaiuiulum. This weevil 
is one of my most recent discoveries in the Lea Valley, and at the 
same time one of the most unexpected. Fowler says it is found on 
sandy soil on the yarrow, Achillaea millefolium. It was first discovered 
in Britain by my friend Mr. E. A. Waterhouse, who took his specimens 
on the coast, and all hut three of the ten localities given for it by 
Canon Fowler are also on or near the coast. Most of my specimens 
were obtained in an area, lying close to a ditch, where the numerous 
holes and general appearance of the soil betrayed its decidedly marshy 
character, even although it was dry at the time I visited it. In this 
spot there was no yarrow, but Canlaminc pratensis was common. 
Walking along by the sides of the ditches, one cannot help noticing 
how numerous are those curious plants the figworts. Where the 
herbage on the bank side is tall and dense they are frequently hidden 
away, and become short and stunted. But, placed in some favourable 
spot, the tigwort ascends to a great height, and becomes, with its 
spikes of little, dark red, peculiarly shaped flowers, a very fine plant 
indeed ! But these interesting plants have many enemies amongst 
insects, not the least of which are the gorgeous larva' of the moth 
< 'ucullia rerhasci, and of the wasp-mimicking the saw-fly, Allant us >srrophu- 
lariac. To the coleopterist, however, their most interesting guests are 
the beautiful weevils of the genus < 'ionus, of which in the Lea Valley 
we have four species, one of which unfortunately (<'. hortulanus ) was 
met with scantily in only one season, and has not been seen since. As 
at least one species of < 'ionus is common in most parts of the country, 
and all three stages can be observed on the same plant at the same 
time, it is hardly surprising that the life-history of the genus should 
be well known. < ’. tubcrculosus and scmphulariae, the two larger species 
occurring with me, are of a fair size as weevils go, and are chiefly 
characterised by their ribbed elytra, clothed with beautiful velvety- 
black and bluish scales, flecked at the scutellum and near the apex with 
little white streaks, above each of which is a finely rounded velvety- 
black spot. They are much alike, and occurring together on the 
