152 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Agabus arcticus and bipustulatus, Ilybius subcenetis (common), 

 Rhantus bistriatus and Acilius sulcatus (common). I have 

 no record of newts, though possibly they occurred. 



Above Broadford in Skye I found, at 800 ft. elevation, 

 a lochan, one corner of which reminded me very much of 

 the Norway loch ; this corner was peaty, though not more 

 than perhaps 3 to 4 ft. deep, and was thick with water-plants 

 Castalia speciosa, Myriophyllum, Potamogeton lucensl, Spar- 

 ganium natans or minimum, etc. and in this corner I took 

 one or two females of D. lapponicus. The other end of the 

 loch and all along one side was stony, and the day being 

 sunny and calm I saw several other specimens and took 

 altogether 5 females and no males. One of the specimens 

 was very soft, having evidently only recently emerged from 

 the pupa. The lochan literally swarmed with Gammarus, 

 and young newts were numerous ; there were also a number 

 of tadpoles and one toad came up in the net. 



Associated with the Dytiscuswere the following species: 



Haliplus fulvus (two or three). Rhantus exoletus (abundant). 



Deronectes griseo-striatus (fairly Acilius sulcatus, var. scoticus 



common). (common). 



Hydroporus erythrocephalus Gyrinus minutus. 



(common). G. natator. 

 Agabus arcticus (very common). 



Many of the A. arcticus and most of the Rh. exoletus were 

 soft, and many specimens of these two species were sitting 

 out of the water upon projecting stones. The temperature 

 of the water at 3 P.M. was i 5.5 C. (about 60 F.). 



The form of the Rh. exoletus was such that, at the time, 

 I was uncertain whether the specimens really belonged to 

 that species. The specimens are smaller, narrower, and 

 more parallel-sided than the typical form, and quite recently 

 Mr. Anderson-Fergusson sent me a specimen taken by him 

 at Fauldhouse (West Lothian), "750-1000 ft.," which in all 

 respects agrees with my Skye specimens. The form is not, 

 however, entirely confined to mountains, as I have a similar 

 specimen, except that it is much larger, from East Norfolk ; 

 also it is not the only form found on mountains, as I have 

 specimens from a highland loch in Antrim in which Deronectes 



