130 The Irish Naturo.list. [May, 



Notes on Coleoptera. 



I must thank Mr. Johnson for his congratulations and good wishes 

 {sttpra, p. 70). There are one or two points in his notes which do not 

 concur exactly with my own observations, to which I should like to 

 draw attention. While I fully accept his observation that many of the 

 Carabi are particularly active at dusk, I was rather surprised to hear 

 that such is the case with C. niton, since it is only in bright sunshine 

 that I have found this species active on the Donegal mountains. In 

 dull weather I have always found it hiding during daytime in common 

 with other Carabi, It is somewhat remarkable that an insect which 

 becomes particularl}- active in bright sunshine should also become 

 active at dusk. I have onl}' met with C. nitens on the upper, uncultivated 

 portions of the hills, 



Mr. Johnson's reminder as to sweeping at night is particular!}- happ)' 

 at the present time, just at the commencement of the season, and ma}-, I 

 feel sure, be borne in mind profitably by coleopterists in general. Wh}- 

 is it that so many advocate sweeping at night, while so few seem to 

 adopt this method of collecting ? Personally, although I am convinced 

 that night-collecting would yield most encouraging results., I must 

 confess that I have never yet tried it on a practical scale, but hope to be 

 able to give a good account of it at the end of the present season. 



It is, as Mr. Johnson says, somewhat remarkable that I did not meet 

 with C. clathratus ; I have no doubt that it exists in the Fojde district. 

 It occurred in the collection of the late Dr. Osborne, of Milford, Co. 

 Donegal, which is now in the Dublin Museum. Pdophila borealis also 

 occurred in Dr. Osborne's collection. It is quite possible that I over- 

 looked Ccelainbus v-lineatus ; C. incRqtialis is certainly abundant everywhere 

 in the Foyle district 



"With regard to Hydroponis Davisii and H. septenh-ionalis, has Mr. Johnson 

 ever actually observed either of these species rising to the surface for 

 air } I have invariably found these two species at the foot of mountain 

 rivers, in situations devoid of weeds. Being struck with their remarkable 

 habits, I have watched them frequentl}'' and long, but have never once 

 seen one rise to the surface, nor in fact rise more than two inches above 

 the river-bed on any occasion. Perhaps further observations on these 

 species may be forthcoming. It is to be presumed that they must 

 occasionally rise to the surfpce, but they certainh' do so at very long 

 intervals. 



I must thank the Rev. Mr. Johnson for drawing attention to the previous 

 records of Myceiopoms nanjts and Ceiithorrhynchiis vidjiahis, which I am 

 sorry were overlooked. PJiytosns balticus I took blowing along the sands at 

 Buncrana, Co. Donegal, near the golf links. It was plentiful on the day 

 when I took it, but I did not meet with it subsequently. 



I note that Philopcdon geviinafiis, which occurs in great abundance on 



the sand-hills at Magilligan and Buncrana, varies considerably both in 



size and colour, but I did not meet with an)' distinct large white form to 



which Mr. Johnson refers. 



C1.AUDE W. BUCKI.R. 

 Chichester. 



