THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 97 



HINTS ON COLLECTING COLEOPTERA DURING 



THE WINTER. 



BY A. FORD, ST. LEONARDS-ON-SEA. SUSSEX, ENGLAND. 



During the winter the coleopterist in Britain finds a great deal to do in 

 the way of collecting, as many species are to be met with at this season, 

 which will probably not be found at any other period of the year. One 

 of the principal methods of collecting during the winter is " tuft-cutting ", 

 and it is astonishing the number of beetles which pass through the winter 

 in tufts of grass. Those growing in damp places in woods and on th e 

 borders of ponds and streams are generally the most productive. They 

 should be cut off close to the roots, then shaken and pulled to pieces over 

 a sheet of paper, which should be very carefully examined, otherwise many 

 of the more minute species will be passed over. If the weather is too severe 

 for this sort of work, the collector should provide himself with a strong 

 canvas bag, into which the tufts can be shaken, and the contents can then 



be examined at home at his leisure. Moss is also very productive at this 

 season. Vast numbers of beetles may be found hibernating in moss in 

 sheltered situations. This should be examined in the same way as the 

 tufts. Haystacks are also good hunting grounds for the coleopterist. 

 The loose refuse underneath the stack is usually the best part to work. 

 Piles of faggots and logs in woods generally repay the collector for a care- 

 ful examination. Numbers of beetles are to be found at the roots of grass, 

 especially on sandy banks, where the grass grows in patches. They are 

 always found as close as possible to the roots, and many of them har- 

 monize so well with the ground that it requires a very, careful search to 

 discover them. By carefully working a bank of this description one 

 winter I obtained over one hundred species of Coleoptera, including 

 several " rarities ", I may add, the bank was only about thirty yards 

 long by two broad. Of course, there are many species of wood-boring 

 beetles to be found in the winter months, as also many others which 

 occur in various species of fungi. 



A diligent collector will doubtless add many species, and probably 

 some " rarities " to his collection, if he takes the trouble to look for them 

 during the winter months, and if the foregoing remarks prove of any service 

 to those interested in Coleoptera, I shall be amply repaid for the trouble 

 of writing them. 



