168 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



which he places between the Trichopterygidae and the Scaphidii- 

 (hc. Rejects Key's conclusion that Hydroscapha is closely allied 

 to Limnebius. Has not seen Matthews' (1876) article.. 



1901. H. C. FALL, The Coleoptera of Southern California (Occas. papers 

 of the Calif. Ac. Sc. vm, 1901, p. 80) says: "H. nalans is proba- 

 bly not a rare insect, though very seldom taken; when one is dis- 

 covered a considerable number may usually be obtained by patient 

 search. I have taken it close to the bank in a mountain stream, 

 and also in a muddy spot in a cow pasture near Pomona." 



1906. In the latest edition of the Europ. Coleopt. Catalogue by L. V. 

 Heyden, E. Reitter and J. Weise the genus Hydroscapha is finally 

 accredited to LeConte and placed as a full-fledged family between 

 1he Trichopterygidse and Scaphidiidae. 



[References to the European species of Hydroscapha are omitted 

 from this list.] 



In the year 1901 Mr. Barber found it commonly in the fountain 

 at the mouth of the gorge, while in December 1913 the beetle did 

 not occur at the same place, the water at that time being much 

 colder, but on both occasions it occurred at the head of the spring 

 and in the middle course of the creek. It is not a swimming beetle 

 but always occurs among the algae growing on the rocks at the 

 very edge of the water. They were much more abundant where 

 the flow from the spring itself was so shallow on the algae that 

 the beetles could crawl freely with their backs at the surface, and 

 under these circumstances the water did not wet the middle part 

 of the elytra, but the larvae among the adults were completely 

 submerged. The beetle itself is quite conspicuous in spite of its 

 small size ; its movements while by no means rapid are quite per- 

 ceptible, in fact its whole behavior and appearance with its ex- 

 tended abdomen reminds one forcibly, except for the aquatic 

 habit, of the Staphylinid genus Erchomus. The specimens are 

 difficult to secure and in some instances they disappear suddenly, 

 apparently taking flight. The larvae as found by Mr. Barber are 

 of the same color as the rocks and difficult to observe although 

 fully exposed and not covered by the algae. 



A box filled with algae containing larvae and imagoes of Hydro- 

 scapha was at once mailed to Washington, where in the course 

 of time Dr. Boving not only was able to make a thorough study 

 of the larvae but also discovered eggs and the pupa. He also 

 pointed out the conspicuous air reservoir showing through the 

 elytra of the living adults and extending behind the elytral apices 

 on account of rather long projecting ciliae. Thus the biology of 

 another family of Coleoptera of uncertain position has been as- 

 certained. 



