COLKOPTKRA. 105 



their hybernacula, but, although fine, the wind was far too cold to 

 find anything wandering about, and all captures had to be made Ijy 

 diligent search. Five of the pretty ScapliUlinni A-viaculatwn were 

 discovered underneath a rotten oak log, ii <? s and 3 $ s ; the ^ s 

 showing well their characters of the depressed and pubescent meta- 

 sternum, and projecting 7th abdominal segment. Thoroughly wet and 

 rotten logs, half sunk or buried in earth or rubbish, seem to be the favour- 

 ite habitat of this insect. It is not at all particular as to what wood 

 it is, so long as it is wet enough and rotten enough. I have taken it 

 from logs of birch, pine and oak. A smaller branch of oak, overgrown 

 with moss, produced a'w J;/atlii(Uum variant, including 2 J s, showing 

 fairly well the peculiar enlargement of the left mandible. It is diffi- 

 cult to suggest a way in which an asymmetrical character like this is 

 produced, and, although a variable character, it is not only in this 

 species, but in several others of the British members of the group, 

 that it occurs. This group is also peculiar in the way that the number 

 of the tarsal joints varies, not only in different species, but in the S s 

 and 5 s of the same species. One would think this a very unstable 

 character amongst our Coleoptera, judging by this group, whereas 

 the very reverse is the case. The other captures worth mentioning 

 were llowalota niarcida, Knplectm nii/ricam, and from two small 

 pieces of dry JJolctus I found a large colony of Ennearthron afjine, 

 one of our British Ciasidae, which I have not scon since I took it in a 

 similar way at Loughton, about six years ago. — II. Heaslek, Uanby 

 Street, Peckham. March 3rd, 1898. 



Interesting Coleoptera captured in 1897. — The following species 

 of Coleoptera, obtained by me in 1897 (my first year with this order),- 

 appear to be worthy of record. By some fatality, most of my best insects 

 occurred singly. My first capture of any note was a single specimen 

 of Aphoflius c(ms])urcatHs, found in horse-dung, near Chingford, on 

 April 19th. My own district, the Lea Valley, produced the following, 

 of more or less interest, during the season : — Aiiiara acuminata (1) in 

 flood refuse at Chingford Ferry, May 2nd ; MeijatoNia undata and 

 Cunjnibitcs querciis, one each, Cheshunt, May 23rd, the former out of 

 nettles close to a house, the latter on an Umbellifer ; Vh/tus iiii/f;ticm 

 (3), two by beating a hawthorn hedge, the third found perched on the 

 top of a high paling, apparently taking a look round — all at Edmonton, 

 May 30th ; Hcdohia ivipcrialis (1), crawling up a willow trunk at 

 Chingford Ferry, June 13th ; Ciumis tuberculosm, Scop, {cerbafici, F.), 

 in some numbers on Scrophularia, in June, in company with C. scrophu- 

 lariae, C. blaUariac (commonly) and C. liortidanus (two only). C 

 tiibercidosus also turned up in quantity on a fine plant of Scrnpliularia 

 aqnatica, growing alone at Chingford Ferry; this plant, which I visited 

 at regular intervals, supported probably over 100 individuals during 

 the season ; C. tuberctdosus, judging from my experience with correspon- 

 dents, is badly represented in 13ritish collections ; Donacia crassijics, a 

 few specimens at the end of July, on the leaves of Nnp/iar liitca, growing 

 in a backwater at Cheshunt ; the insects were obtained with some 

 difficulty, by reason of their provoking readiness to take flight to more 

 inaccessible positions on the too near approach of the collector ; 

 Heledona ai/aricola, several specimens out of a fungus on a willow 

 stump, Edmonton, July 21th; I'laijUnlera rcrsicnlora, Ijaich. {a rmora- 

 ciae, F.), in profusion on sallows and willows, near Roydon, Aug. 21st; 



