SOME COLEOPTERA FROM THE SUMMIT OF BEN NEVIS 31 



I have carefully examined the debris on a few occasions upon 

 remaining patches of snow, and found it to be composed almost 

 entirely of insect remains. The snow has for many days been quite 

 blackened by such debris, as if covered with soot ; but although this 

 may partly account for the blackness, yet, on the few occasions I 

 made an examination, soot proved to be quite a minor factor. On 

 the morning of the 24th of May I made a round of the squares 

 marked out on the 23rd, and found that 93 per cent of the insects 

 had perished. The surface of the snow was crisply frozen. 



This great slaughter takes place during the night, for in the day- 

 time the cold does not appear to have any great effect upon them. 

 Many of these insects are very active on the snow, and often appear 

 to be as lively upon it as upon a window-pane. 



I have seen wasps at the summit, but could not catch them. 



The Snow Buntings which reside near at hand are quite aware 

 of the abundance of insects on the snow, and resort to the patches 

 to feed.] 



THROUGH the kindness of Mr. Eagle Clarke, F.L.S., etc., I 

 have had the opportunity of examining a number of beetles 

 collected at or near the summit of Ben Nevis by Mr. W. S. 

 Bruce, a member of the Observatory staff. Mr. Bruce collected 

 with great assiduity all insects that came in his way for 

 about four months of the year ; but the greatest number of 

 Coleoptera were procured during the last half of May and 

 the first half of June. Whether this was due to the influence 

 of better weather, or is to be looked upon as the " season " 

 on Ben Nevis, remains to be shown by further observation. 

 It is important to notice that all the insects, with very few 

 exceptions, were taken at or near the summit understand- 

 ing by this last term " all that portion of the mountain 

 which exceeds 4350 feet." On this fact depends the 

 interest of this paper ; for most of the insects recorded are 

 widely distributed lowland forms. A singular testimony to 

 the universal distribution of about thirty out of the fifty-two 

 recorded species is the fact that they can be found commonly 

 in (or close to) my own parish, which is situated in the Trent 

 valley and on the Keuper marl. Again, it is doubtful if a 

 single species recorded can be looked upon as a true 

 mountain species, if by this term we mean a species which 

 is only found as a straggler at low levels. Even of sub- 

 mountainous species there are very few. In this respect a 



