528 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. XV, No. 8, 



about 3 mm. in length. This feeding continued for some time 

 under observation. As they walked about they would pass exposed 

 parts of the fish to eat at piles of larvae. Two or three larvae 

 would be taken up at one time and eaten with apparent relish. 



By way of comparing fish and other carrion as food for these 

 forms, the body of a cat was used as bait in a trap. When ex- 

 amined 17 Silpha americana were taken while a few others escaped. 

 In the same morning but two beetles of the same species were foimd 

 in a trap baited with fish twice as bulky in quantity as the cat 

 and located in adjacent territory. 



From these rather rambling observations the following con- 

 clusions may be drawn. 



1. Coleoptera are of only secondary consideration in reducing 

 the fish debris of Cedar Point. 



2. They are most active in damp shaded places and resort to 

 fish of the sun -heated beach only of necessity. 



3. While associated with the fish on the beach they are eaten 

 in large quantities by the sand pipers and other shore birds and 

 doubtless must draw new recruits from more protected places 

 to preserve their balance. 



•4. The larval forms, the Trox excepted, if fish feeding do not 

 appear on the beach during June and July. 



5. With a number of these forms fish is not their first choice 

 as food. 



6. The Hister beetles on the beach probably feed on neither 

 the flesh of fish nor fly larvae but on the juices escaping from the 

 decaying fish. 



