COLEOPTERA FROM MOLES' NESTS IN S.E. OF SCOTLAND 87 



maining 59 nests there were found 180 Beetles (fully 3 

 per nest), exclusive of larvae, belonging to 24 species. The 

 largest number in any one nest was 10. Of the species 

 obtained, only 4, all Staphylinidoe, namely, Aleochara spadicea, 

 Er., Oxypoda longipes, Muls., Qnedius longicornis, Kr., and 

 Q. vexans, Epp., belong to the group of 9 taken in England, 

 which are considered by Mr. N. H. Joy to be peculiar to 

 moles' nests. 1 So far we have seen no signs of any of the 

 other 5, namely, Hovialota paradoxa, Rey, Heterothops nigra, 

 Kr., Qnedius nigrocwruleus, Rey, 3Icdon castaneus, Gr., and 

 Hister marginatus, Er. The absence of the Heterothops is 

 especially noteworthy in view of its abundance in nests in 

 the south of England. The Hister has been taken in a 

 mole's nest in Ross-shire by Mr. Joy, so that its detection 

 here is probably only a question of time. 



With us the most common species is probably Aleochara 

 spadicea? which was present in 19 nests, and next to it 

 comes Qnedius vexans, detected in 1 8 nests. Q. longicornis 

 is much scarcer (taken in 10 nests), while Oxypoda longipes 

 occurred in only 8 nests, two of them in the locality (near 

 Aberlady) where the first British specimen was captured by 

 Dr. Sharp (but not in a mole's nest) many years ago. 



The other Beetles, most of them doubtless only casual 

 visitors, found in the nests were : Dyschirius globosus, 

 Herbst, Metabletus foveolatus, Gyll., Megasternum boleto- 

 pliagiun, Marsh, Aleochara cnnicnlornin, Kr., Homalota (3 

 species), Tachyporus hyp no nun, F., TacJdnus collar is, Grav., 

 XantJwiinus Uncarts, Ol., X. ocJiracens, Gyll., Otliius niynnc- 

 copJiilns, Kies., Stains speculator, Er., ^T. pusillns, Er., 6". 

 brunnipes, Steph., Oxytelus sculptnratus, Grav., Choleva angns- 

 tata, F., C. tristis, Panz., Catops sericens, F., and Tnchop- 

 teryx, sp. ?. 



Besides the Beetles there were present in the nests many 

 other creatures --Fleas and their larva?, Diptera and their 

 larva;, Springtails, Spiders, Mites, Myriapods, and Enchy- 

 traeid Worms upon most of which the Staphylinids no doubt 

 prey. 



1 " Ent. Mo. Mag." Nov. 1908, p. 246. 



1 First taken in Scotland in a mole's nest in Peeblesshire, March 1905 

 (Evans, "Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist.," 1908, p. 120). 



