Ill [August, 



in tlie males, which are considerably smaller, and golden in the females. On July 

 10th Mr. Bowring captured several specimens flying about the stump ; they fly 

 readily and strongly, and make a loud noise in flight. CalJidium variahile and 

 Phlosotrya rufipes have also occurred in considerable numbers at the A butts in 

 the Park, and Tiresias serra has recently been found sitting outside a buiTow of 

 Xestohium tessellatuin in the Forest. Mr. Bowring has also asked mo to record the 

 following :— From the New 'Forest— Trox sabulosus, EJater elongatulus, Corymhites 

 metallicus and hipudulatus, Mesosa iiubila, Cleonus nebttlosns, and Conopalpus 

 testaceus. 



From Ugbrooke Park, near Cluulleigh, Devon, a fine specimen of Strangalia 

 aurulenta ; this corroborates the records given in my woi'k on the British Coleoptera, 

 vol. iv, p, 239, " Between Barnstaple and Bideford, Devon (Stephens); Plymouth 

 (J. H. Keys)." I have already recorded in this Magazine the capture of Platyrr- 

 hinus latirostris in this part by Mr. J. C. Bowring (Vol. i. New Series, p. 110). 



From Bovey Tracey, Devon — Leptinus testaceus and Fachyta cerambyciformis 

 {octomaculatd). "With regard to the former, which occurred in come numbers, Mr. 

 Bowring writes — " I took them on August 19th, 1890, on a live mole, the beetles 

 getting off it on to my handkerchief in which I put the mole for a few minutes, and 

 as it was not until afterwards that I found them, there were probably many more 

 on the animal." This is the first record of the occurrence of L. testaceus in the 

 south-western or western counties ; it is, however, in all probability, generally dis- 

 tributed throughout England, but is seldom met with. It has been recorded from 

 the Hastings district, the London district, Needwood near Burton-on-Trent, and 

 Ripon ; and also from the Clyde and Forth districts of Scotland. It is found in dead 

 leaves, birds' nests, on small rodents, in the nests of humble bees, and very rarely in 

 ants' nests. — W. W. Fowler, Lincoln : July l-ifk, 1891. 



Barynotus mcerens, Fab., destructive. — A friend of mine is greatly exercised by 

 the havoc which a beetle (kindly identified for me by the Rev. Theodore Wood as 

 the above) is making among her lilies of the valley. She first noticed the insects 

 about three summers ago. This year they are specially numerous ; up to July 4th 

 she had killed 580 of them — 80 on one evening. They do not show themselves 

 until after 10 p.m. The beetles devour musk, violets, primrose, and foxglove (es- 

 pecially the two latter), as well as lilies of the valley. A large chestnut overhangs 

 the lilies, and a fernery runs at the back, but they do not touch the tree, and do 

 very little damage to the ferns. As far as my friend can make out, the eggs hatch 

 in August. The larvae did no end of harm last year to the lily roots, and filled the 

 bulbs of the tiger lilies and gladioli growing close by. The perfect insect attacks 

 foliage only, sitting astride the leaf, and eating in rings like tiie clover weevil. It 

 has completely destroyed two beds of lilies of the valley out of tiie three in the 

 garden, and the birds do not seem to carry it off. Can any of your correspondents 

 supply me with information on the following points ? (1) What is the best means 

 of preventing the depredations, and killing the larvae? (2) Where are the eggs 

 laid ? (3) Is it probable that these insects were brought with ferns from Wales, or 

 bulbs from Grermany ? (-l) What is the ordinary food plant of B. moerens? — M. C. 

 H. BiKD, Brunstead Rectory, Stalham, Norfolk: July 8th, 1891. 



[As a rule the beetle above alluded to, Barynotus elevatus. Marsh, {moerens, 

 auct. nee Fab.), is by no means common ; in fact, there are many Coloopterists who 



