i^ Qjieries and Aiis'mei'S, 



label, on- which was written, " Necrophorus germaniciis." I once caught 

 one in the gravel pits on Tooting Common, and kept it for some time in a, 

 globe of water. I used to feed it with worms, or insects, of which it was 

 very fond. It was excessively ravenous, and appeared very quick-sighted ; 

 for it used to dart at its food the moment I dropped it in, fix its pincers in 

 the insect, and keep hold of it until it had entirely sucked out the contents. 

 After I had kept it for some time, I gave it a companion : when it saw the 

 new comer, it remained stationary for a few minutes, then darted at it with 

 incredible swiftness, and killed it almost instantaneously; nor did it scruple 

 to satisfy its hunger on the body of its dead enemy. It lived for several 

 weeks; at the expiration of which time it died, owing to neglect in my 

 absence. I ought not to omit the fact that it repeatedly inflicted wounds 

 on my finger with its pincers, which were very sharp and hard. The shell 

 of this little animal resembles that of a shrimp, and its tail ends in a 

 bunch of hairs. Yours, &c. — Thomas Chapman. Oxford, Sept. 1830. 



Note hy Mr, Sowerhy. — The Necrophorus germanicus feeds upon car- 

 rion, in its larva state ; it then bears only a slight resemblance to the water 

 insect here spoken of, which is rather the larva of Acilius sulcatus or 

 Dyticus marginalis, or some similar water insect. I have seen such feed- 

 ing upon small fishes, and have di'ied specimens. — J. D. C. S. 



Qdrabus nemordlis. — I beg to inform your correspondent, A. L. A. of 

 Alnwick (Vol. III. p. 477.), that the Carabus nemoralis is a common 

 insect, I believe, throughout Britain. I have frequently taken it in gardens 

 and under moss, at all times of the year. It is more generally known 

 by the name of C. hortensis Fabr.y and is mentioned in Marsham's work 

 on British Coleoptera^ in Samouelie's Entomologist^ s Compeiidiimiy in Ste- 

 phens's Illustrations of British Entomology y &c. — A. Wright. Askam Bryany 

 York, Nov. 2. 1830. 



Coiias Edussi and Cynthia cardui. — I should be much obliged to any of 

 your entomological correspondents who would inform me whether they 

 have noticed the Colias Edijsa or Cynthia cardui this year. The periodical 

 appearance of these insects, as well as of Vanessa Antiope, has been the 

 source of much fruitless conjecture among entomologists, but has never 

 yet, I believe, been sufficiently explained. I have not heard of the Colias 

 Edusa having been taken anywhere this year, nor the Cynthia cardui in- 

 deed, except one specimen which was captured by a friend of mine while I 

 was present, on the 13th of July last. — A. Wright. Askam BryaUy Yorky 

 Nov.25.\m0. 



Poisonous Plants. — In Smith's Introduction to Botany (ed. 5. p. 317.) it 

 is stated that no traveller, in the most unknown wilderness, need scruple 

 to eat any fruit whose stamens are thus situated, i. e. growing from the 

 calyx. In Eng. Fl. (vol. ii. p. 228.) the genus i)aphne is represented as 

 having its stamens growing from the calyx ; which is also stated with regard 

 to the natural order T'hymeleas, to which this genus belongs. {Syn. of Br. 

 Fl.y p. 208.) The Encyclopcedia of Plants gives its generic character thus ; 

 — " Cor. (cal. ?) 4-cleft, like a corolla, withering, including the stamens," 

 &c. It appears, then, that the stamens are inserted into the calyx, and 

 yet " the berries (of D. Mezereum), when swallowed, prove a powerful 

 poison, not only to man but to many quadrupeds." (Encyc. of PI.) How 

 are these statements to be reconciled ? or if, when the stamens are in- 

 serted into the calyx, the fruit is wholesome, how comes it that, in this, 

 case, the fruit is poisonous ? Linnaeus regarded the envelope of the 

 Daphne to be composed of the calyx and corolla. (Phil.Bot., 90.) Does it 

 not seem to partake more of the nature of a corolla than of a calyx, if not 

 truly a corolla, as it is called in Syst. Vegetah.? — L. D. Sept. 28. 1830. 



A certain uncommon Plant in the Loch of Spynie. — There are many singu- 

 lar circumstances, interesting to the naturalist, noticed in his History of 

 -Scotlaridy by Leslie bishop of Ross, the intrepid defender of the unfor-^ 



