5 
localities for running water. I have not found it at Woking, and know 
of but a single specimen captured near the Black Pond, Esher. There 
is no possibility of mistaking this for any other species. It is found on 
Sparganium , rushes, and other aquatic plants in June and July. 
D. vulgaris , Zsch.—Named as D. typhce , Ahr., in Sharp’s Catalogue 
(1871), and Fowler and Matthews’ Catalogue (1883). Allied to the 
preceding species, but could hardly be confounded with it, having a 
broad reddish-purple band running down each side of the suture. The 
band is sometimes of a deep blue, and occasionally it is so faint as to 
require a strong lens to distinguish it. Two specimens without the band 
were captured by me at the Black Pond, Esher, in 1885 ; also, in the 
same year, a specimen entirely suffused with purple. The beetle occurs 
more commonly on Typha latifolia in June and July, but is found also 
on iris and other aquatic plants. Besides Esher, I have found it at 
Farnham and Walthamstow. 
D. semicuprea , Panz.—It is to be hoped that the name of this species 
is now settled. In 1871 and 1883 Sharp calls it D. semicuprea , Panz. : 
in 1883, Fowler and Matthews call it D . simplex , F, ; in Fowler’s Coleop. 
Brit. Isles (1890) the term semicuprea , Panz., is again restored. Pax 
vobiscum! The insect is rather common in what some coleopterists 
describe as the “ London district ”—the said district includes rather a 
wide area, so wide, indeed, that I would recommend the term to persons 
who desire to altogether suppress the name of any locality in the south 
of England, when recording their captures. To revert to the subject, 
D. semicuprea occurs chiefly on Sparganium , rushes, etc., and is certainly 
very common where it occurs. The localities in which I have captured 
it are: Farnham, Sheire, Sunbury, Shepperton, Wanstead Park, Wal¬ 
thamstow, Hackney Marshes, etc. 
jD. clavipes , F.—Synonymous with D. menyanthidis , Gyll., by which 
name it is called by Sharp (1871) and Fowler and Matthews (1883). 
One of the largest species of Donacia. It occurs early, from about May 
25th to June 25th. It may be later in some seasons, but its period is 
more regular than its congeners, never lasting more than about lour 
weeks. I once met with a few dirty specimens in July, but, as a rule, I 
do not expect to find it after June. The favourite foodplant seems to 
be Arundo phragmites , in the old stems of which it may be found at the 
Black Pond, Esher, by anyone who does not mind wading for it, in 
May and June. i\s a fact, Donacia species are obtained in greater 
quantity in this way than by simply sweeping with the net. On one 
afternoon in 1885 Mr. Cripps and myself took 1,000 insects by wading 
in and picking the beetles off the aquatic plants. Mr. Heasler took a 
great number of this species at Deal in 1890. 
D. cinerea, Herbst.—Formerly known as D. hydrochceridis , F. Many 
of the old names of the members of this genus were derived from the 
plants on which the beetles were found, and served very well indeed ; 
but in accordance with the laws of priority they have, unfortunately, to 
be discarded. The present species differs from all others in our British 
list, inasmuch that the upper surface is closely covered with pubescence. 
The only occasion on which I had the good fortune to capture it was 
on Jubilee day, 1887, at Woking, when I netted six specimens. These 
were clinging to a species of reed. 
D. sericea, L. (D. proleus , Steph.) and D. discolor , Panz. (D. comari , 
