250 [November, 



A note on the habitx of Choleva watsoni, Spence. — This evening I captured 

 on a window wliat I thought might be a hirgo Colon, but it turned out to be 

 ChoJeva wat-soni, Spenee. When examining it in the bottle witli a low-power 

 lens, I was fortunate enough to observe it in the act of cleaning itself. This jjroved 

 to be sueli an interesting process that I watclied it for some time on several occa- 

 sions. The beetle cleans the whole of its upper surface (except the head and tlie 

 extreme apex of the elytra) witii the middle tibi:e and tarsi, each tarsus passing a 

 little over the median line. It first "licks" one front tarsus for a short time ; it 

 then rubs this tarsus over the inner surface of the middle tibia and tarsus of the 

 same side. The middle tibia is (hen turned up right over the back from behind 

 forwards so that the inner or concave surface of the tibia and the inner edge of tlie 

 tarsus come into contact with the back, tiio libia matching pei-fectly tiie convexity 

 of the elytra. The leg is then moved forwards and backwards, reacliing almost to 

 the apex of the elytra, and as far forward as the anterior edge of the thorax, 

 which is moved slightly over to that side. One; would hardly have supposed this 

 latter position possible, and it certainly looks a wonderful acrobatic performance. 

 The apex of the elytra is cleaned by the hind tibiuo after the '■ saliva " lias been 

 carefully rubbed on to them from the middle tibiae. The head is cleaned by the 

 anterior tarsi, whether the dorsal or palmar surface 1 could not ascertain for certain, 

 but I believe the former. Sometimes the beetle appears to lick the middle tarsi, 

 but I am not certain of this. On examination under the microscope I find the 

 inner aspect of the middle tibiaj is very densely p.ibescent.- -Nokman il. JoY, 

 Bradfield, Berks: Octoher Ixt, 1907. 



Cryptofhagas .subdeprefisus, GylL, cj*c., in Surrey. — To the locality for C. sub- 

 depressus — introduced as British by Dr. Joy in the last No. of this Magazine, on 

 two examples captured by himself in Ross-shire on August 4th last— 1 can adil 

 Woking, one specimen taken on the wing, amongst pines, on August 20th 1905, and 

 Guildford, two specimens, beaten from spruce firs, on August 5th last. During the 

 present month (October) Mr. J. J. Walker and I have obtained several others on 

 the same trees near Guildford. As noted by Dr. Joy, the species is mainly recog- 

 nisable by the very dense fine puncturation of the elytra. Thomson compares C. 

 subdepressus with Micrambe abletis, Payk., on account of its slender legs and short 

 fine pubescence, and the two examples taken by myself on August 5th were supposed 

 to be that insect at the time of capture. These same spruce firs have also yielded 

 C. dentatus, Herbst, Micrambe vini, Panz., Melanophfhalma similata, Gyll., sparingly, 

 and 3J. gibbosa, lierbst, and M.fuscula, Hum., commonly, Uromius meridionalii, 

 Dej., D. 4:-maculatus, L., D. 4-noiatus, Panz., and L>. melanocep/ialus, Dej., Cryphalus 

 abietis, Ratz., Cardiastetkus fasciiventris. Garb., Miarophysa pselaphiformis , Curt., 

 and M. eleganlula, Baer., Podisus luridus, F., Acanthowma hasinorrhoidale, L , and 

 Jassus mixtus, F. The various specimens referred to 31. similata are separable 

 froui M.fuscula by their smaller size, less transverse, more coarsely punctate pro- 

 thorax, and coarsely punctate-striate elytra, with the alternate interstices raised 

 towards the base ; and from M. gibbosa by the deep fovea on the prolhorax, &c. 

 Among the Coleoptera observed at Woking since the publication of my last note 

 (anted, p. 135), the following are worth recording : — lihizophagus voeruleipennis , 

 8ahlb., another specimen, taken on the wing, by my son, on May i:7th, on the same 



