COLKOPTERA IN THE HASTINGS DISTRICT. 23 



latiis, under stones in a stream ; Tiiijinalus Ivnbatm, under bark and 

 bred from fungi ; LathridluH toatacetis, Atjathidium rotnndatum. and 

 Liodes humeralis from powdery fungus on an old trunk, and '/'racli)j- 

 phloeusaristatiis, at the roots of grass. At Fairlight, tlie best things met 

 with were ('huraf/itfi x/wppardi, several from old hawthorn ; Xotiniihilns 

 4:-pi()ivtatuji in a sand-pit, and Li.vus ahjirm from thistle stems, in its old 

 locality. Among the A'', i-punctattis was one striking aberration, with 

 three punctures on one elytron and two on the other. I have 

 previously met with an example which had two punctures on on" 

 elytron and only one on the other. 



The well-wooded district near Battle was rather prolific of good 

 things. At sappy oak stumps we w?;-e lucky enough to get a long 

 series of *Xi/li'b()iHa dispar J , and a few '••'A', .scu-eseni ; a single 

 CaUidium vlolaceum turned up, and beating produced lUn/nrhiti's 

 puhescenn, 11. nanus and /.'. popull, Morddlistena ahdominalu and 

 Burytomm co.stiro.stris. From a dead oak we obtained a few ^•'Anitijs 

 ruhens, but, as usual, they were all dead, and accompanied by Dorcatoma 

 Jiaricuniis, also dead. A single '■•'MijcctophcKjus piceus occurred on the 

 same tree. Evening sweeping was not a great success, considering 

 the amount of time devoted to it. Coinn brnnncum was not rare, and 

 Anifiotoma valcaiata was common, but the better species were very 

 scantily represented ; A. ni(/rita (one), A. Utura (one), A. badia 

 (several), A. Dralia (two), Cnlenia drntiju's (common), Ctjrtusa paiuilla 

 (not rare), HydimLiiiM striffosus (one), Rlnnoncm dcnticollh (two), 

 Tetratoma ancora (one), '■'Sihinia potvntiUae and (h-cJwstcs pratoisis. 

 Those marked thus '■■•' have not been previously recorded for the 

 district. 



The egg-laying of Metcecus (Ehipiphorus) paradoxus. — With 

 reference to the interesting note of Dr. Chapman about Metoems, I 

 can scarcely subscribe to his ingenious theory that the female deposits 

 her eggs in rotten wood on the chance of some wasp coming in 

 contact with the grubs. To maintain my theory, I may state that, 

 at the end of July, I once found a nest of wasps deep in a bank in an 

 elder-stub, which had been found by some boys, who had counnenced 

 to stone it, and as I wanted some wasp-grubs at the time for fishing 

 and for the poultry, I took the nest at once. In about half-an-hour. 

 the small garrison were all dead in a bunch outside and inside the 

 entrance where I had put my rag. On digging out the nest, whicli 

 which was some way in the bank, I found, as I expected, only about a 

 fifth of the early combs empty, and these were being filled with eggs 

 by the old queen wasp, who, with an old and worn female Mctoecns, 

 were the only living occupants of the nest. The beetle was very busy 

 running about the empty cells, and evidently intent upon depositing 

 her eggs. In the usual course, I should have found the full-grown 

 beetles in about eight weeks. Vespa vulgaris, which only makes use 

 of rotten wood, generally, I notice, selects quite a fresh piece each year 

 to work from, and, although we frequently see Vespa germanica at 

 work upon sound wood-gates and palings, the other wasp is not very 

 often seen at work, as it frequents less exposed places. — W. H, Tuck, 

 M.A., The Press Club, Fleet St., E.G. December IGth, 1897. 



Information required. — 1 should be glad of information as to 

 distribution and variation of British Apliodii, localities for all species, 

 with dates. — Frank Bouskell, F.E.S., Market Bosworth, Nuneaton. 



Variation in tue abundance of Coleopteilv. — I am collcctins: 



