iS99-] Johnson. — Entomological Notes from Ulster. 259 



the beetle occurs "on flowers of Whitethorn," and I was conse- 

 quently surprised not to be able to obtain more than a single 

 specimen when I beat the Whitethorn in full bloom. I 

 have, however, now solved the mystery, and found that the 

 beetle, here at any rate, is not to be met with in numbers 

 until long after the flowers are off the Whitethorn. In August 

 last Mrs. Johnson and I were out in one of my fields, and took 

 refuge from a shower of rain under the hedge. Almost im- 

 mediately Mrs. Johnson called my attention to two beetles 

 that were sitting on my coat sleeve. I recognised them to be 

 L. cratcsgi, and when the rain had passed off returned with net 

 and bottle, and began to beat the hedge. In a very short 

 time I had as many as I wanted, but for curiosity I tried the 

 Whitethorn in other parts of the Glebe farm, and found the 

 beetle present there also. From this experience it would seem 

 that the main brood of the beetle is present in autumn rather 

 than in early summer. 



The great heat and drought of this summer gave the Turnip 

 " Fly " (Phyllotreta undulatd) and the Wireworm fine oppor- 

 tunities for the exercise of their peculiar gifts. I slew 

 P. undulata wholesale by tapping the cabbage and young 

 turnip plants, and causing the beetles to spring into my net. 

 I then either crushed them or drowned them. The Wireworm, 

 which is here mostly Agriotes obscurus, did a great deal of 

 mischief among turnips, corn, and potatoes. A neighbour of 

 mine had the greater part of a field of potatoes ruined by these 

 grubs eating through the tubers, and making them unfit for 

 market purposes. As far as my experience goes nitrate of 

 soda is the most useful dressing that can be applied to check 

 the ravages of these grubs. 



Part of this house is pretty old, and consequently harbours 

 some of the Ptinidce. I have taken Ptinusfur, a good many ; 

 Niptus kololeuacs, freely ; and N. crenatus sparingly. Crypto- 

 phagus scanicus and Mus mus cuius, though so far apart in 

 structure, habits, &c, have a common liking which is 

 equally destructive to both ; they both love cream, so 

 both tumble into the cream crocks in my dairy at night 

 and their corpses are found in the morning, to Mrs. 

 Johnson's intense delight, as all good housewives will 

 understand. She tries to get me to take an interest in the 



