NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 233 



lake was sunk down deep into the centre of the hill, so that it 

 was possible to see the open country from only one spot. The 

 place reminded me of the Devil's Punch Bowl, or of the crater 

 of Vesuvius, and, indeed, it looked uncommonly like the crater 

 of an extinct volcano. I noticed that no stream seemed to issue 

 from the lake, and further, that there seemed to be no trout in 

 it. In all the other lochs trout abound, which explained the 

 absence of Hijdradephaya, as trout and Dytisci cannot compete. 

 Dytiscus must go to the wall, or more correctly to the stomach. 



I observed several newts swimming about fearlessly, and very 

 soon a Devil's Coach, as the larva of Dytiscus is well named, 

 appeared ; and after searching round the edge for a few minutes, 

 I was rewarded Avith the sight of the insect sought. I imme- 

 diately made the capture, and commenced a regular hunt, which 

 was stopped only by darkness coming on. I came away yni\\ all 

 my collecting bottles full. 



This summer (18G8) during the month of August, I happened to 

 be in the north of Ireland, in the county Donegal, and in passing 

 through that wild and bleak district, cast occasional glances into 

 some of the innumerable lakes and tarns with which its hill-sides 

 and moors are studded, but with little success. Happening one 

 day to pass a small tarn, pretty high up on the hill-side above 

 tlie sea, and observing that no stream appeared to issue from 

 it, and that there was no indication of its containing trout, I 

 gave a somewhat careless glance into it. I was not a little 

 astonished to observe, almost on the instant, a Dytiscus slowly 

 paddling along. It was immediately recognised as Lcqyponicus; and 

 I have now much pleasure in recording the first capture of the 

 insect in Ireland. Unable to spend much time looking for more 

 specimens that day, I returned the following one. A fearful day 

 of wind and storm it was. There was something rather eerie, I 

 confess, in standing alone on a bleak hill-side in torrents of rain, 

 up to the knees in the loch, the wind hissing along the surftxce of 

 hill and lake, lifting the water in spray, while the Atlantic roared 

 and thundered on the cliffs below. In spite of the difficulties of 

 the day, I managed, however, to secure a goodly series of 

 specimens. 



Let me say a few words now about the habits of the insect. 

 Dytisciis Lapjwnmis, as its name imports, is a truly hyperborean 

 species. It occurs in the lakes of Norway and Sweden, and also 



