1391.] 171 



Sorex vulgaris (ShcfTiold and Woking), one on Mus sylvaticus (Woking), .and seven 

 on Arvicola riparia, Yarr. (Woking), and two at Ventnor, by shaking dead grass, &c., 

 over a sheet, in pursuit of Coleoptera. Musculi is said by Taschenberg to infest 

 Mtts musculiis, agrarius, decumanus, rattus, and, on Kolcnati's authority, Arvicola 

 arvalis. I have little doubt, therefore, that it is only because I have not liad the 

 chance of searching many true rats and mice that I have failed to meet with 

 musculi. If any one has duplicate specimens of this, or of any of our British fleas 

 to part with, I should be very grateful for them, and will make the best return in 

 my power. — Edward Saunders, St. Anne's, Woking : Ma^ 13th, 1891. 



Homalota crassicornis at Buxton. — I have just received from Mr. Horner a ? 

 specimen of Homalota crassicornis, Gryll., a species I did not previously know, but 

 the first glance at it reminded me of some dark IIomalottB which I got at Buxton 

 in June, 1889, under dead leaves in the Corbar Woods, and then referred to pagana. 

 Only the other day I was examining these very specimens, and came to the con- 

 clusion that there was something wrong, and that they were distinct from my 

 southern pagana, but I left them to examine more closely another time. I now 

 clearly see, with the aid of Mr. Horner's specimen, that they are referable to crassi- 

 cornis, and as Buxton is, I believe, a new locality for this rare species, I thought the 

 capture would be worth recording. The obtusely angulated apical margin of the 

 dorsal plate of the 7th abdominal segment in the ^ , as pointed out by Sharp, easily 

 distinguishes it from pagana ; and, as Mr. Horner remarks in his letter to me, the 

 emarginate venti-al valve of the 7th segment in the $ is equally characteristic of 

 that sex. The antennae in both sexes are very differently formed to those of pagana. 



To be doubly certain of their identity, I have referred a ^ and ? to Dr. Sharp, 

 who has kindly examined them and returned them as correct. — Id.: Mai/ 14:th, 1891. 



Bruchus lentis. Boh. — A friend of mine in Lincoln has just brought me a 

 quantity of specimens of this beetle, bred from lentils recently imported from Egypt ; 

 only three or four specimens have been recorded as British, and these are probably 

 importations. Dr. Power is said to have taken one or two of them at Birch Wood, 

 but it is probable that there is some mistake as to the record, or that they were taken 

 in or near a house to which they had in some way been carried. It is most probable 

 that the species ought to be struck off our lists as indigenous, but if so, there are 

 many others among the corn and pulse feeding species that ought to share the same 

 fate.— W. W. Fowler, Lincoln : May \(Uh, 1891. 



Coleoptera at Hastings. — The season is very backward here, many of the early 

 spring beetles having only just made their appearance. I have, however, taken a 

 few good things, the best of which are as follows. In Guestling sandpit, Megacronus 

 cingulalus, Plinthus caliginosus (2), Ccenopsis ll^altoni, nndjissirostris. C. Waltoni 

 has been fairly plentiful at Bexhill and Guestling in moss, hut Jissirostr is I have 

 only taken singly this season, whereas, a year ago, I took nearly twenty specimens. 

 On the shingle at Pett I met with a few Lymnceum nigropiceum, but the most 

 assiduous searching failed to produce more than five specimens. At Fairlight under 

 Lotus corniculatus, Sitones Waterhousei turned up sparingly, in company with 

 TrachyphlcBus squamulatus and Syncalypta hirsuta. The latter insect seems to 

 occur all over this district ; I have found it in plenty at Hastings, Fairlight, Camber, 

 Pett, Bexhill, and St. Leonards. 



