70 The Irish Naticralist. [March, 



NOTES ON IRISH COIvKOPTERA. 



BY REV. W. F. JOHNSON, M.A., F.K.S. 



Mr. Bucki^k's list of beetles from the Lough Foyle district 

 {ajite, pp. 2-1 1) is a most welcome addition to our knowledge 

 of the coleopterous fauna of Ireland. The district is one of 

 varied character, comprising mountains, bogs, and coast sand- 

 hills ; these last are always a happy hunting-ground for the 

 entomologist. That Mr. Buckle has made good use of these 

 advantages is evidenced by the large number of species that he 

 has added to the Irish list and the manj^ good things he has taken. 

 On these captures and a few other points I would wish to offer 

 some observations. Ca7abus nitcfis, L., is a pleasing capture, as 

 being a very beautiful insect, and also as confirming the old re- 

 cords of Haliday and Patterson, who took it in the neighbour- 

 hood of Belfast, and of Canon Bristow, who obtained it on the 

 Dungiven Mountains, Co. Derr3^ The Carabi, like many other 

 Geodephaga, are very active just at dusk, and I was told by 

 an English correspondent that he found it a good plan to look 

 for C. 7iitcnsQ.\. that time. They are ver}' fond of running over 

 paths or roads, and I have seen C. 7ieinoralis, Mull., and 

 C gra7i2ilaius, L-, quite in numbers on a road in early summer 

 at twilight. The late J. F. Dawson, in " Notes on British 

 Geodephaga" {^?z^;;/. ^«?^?/'(^/, 1856), recommends sw^eeping at 

 night, and quotes Baron Chaudoir, who advocates spreading a 

 large white cloth (vsheet or tablecloth) on the ground at night, 

 and placing a brilliant light thereon ; b}^ this method M. 

 Chaudoir sa^^s that he took many good species. 



It is somewhat remarkable that C clathratus, I,., was not 

 met with, for turf bogs are its haunt, and it has been taken 

 pretty freely in Donegal. I had hoped to have seen Pelophila 

 borealis, Payk., and Coelambiis v.-lineahis, 7j^\X., in the list ; but, 

 no doubt, further research on Mr. Buckle's part will turn up 

 these, as well as other desirable Coleoptera. Pelophila is 

 often found in company with Blethisa, but it likes /irvi mud 

 and stones, while Blcthisa will live in swampy places among 

 herbage. The non-occurrence of Ccelambus v.-lineatus is 

 rather puzzling, as it has occurred very generally in Ulster. 

 I have taken it in company with C iiKeq^ialis, F. ; in fact, where 



