30G [Noveiiibei , 



JIoDialoplla rnricola : the black variettj. — On July lltli last, wlien collecting 

 on the clialk downs in the neighbourhood of Ashridgc, I took a specimen of this 

 rare chafer. At the time I did not recognise the value of my capture, or should 

 have searched in hopes of getting the type form. I am indebted to Mr. C. O. 

 Waterhouse for liis kindness in identifying my insect. In the Natural History 

 Museum at South Kensington there are two specimens of this variety, one continental 

 and one British. My capture is a specially large and handsome specimen. — Aetiiur 

 CoTTAM, Eldercroft, Watford : September, 1891. 



Metallites marginatus at Watford. — Canon Fowler, in his new work on the 

 Coleoptera of the British Islands, says that this beetle is very local but not un- 

 common where it occurs, and that it is found on broom and juniper. I have for 

 some years taken it in this neighbourhood, but always on hawthorn. There is very 

 little broom about here, and no juniper within several miles. Last spring the insect 

 was abundant on the hawthorns as soon as the leaves were out. I obtained a good 

 series, and could have taken a very large number had I chosen to do so.-:— Id. 



Coleoptera at Baldock, Herts. — Altiiough I have not had much leisure for 

 active entomology during the season which is now drawing to a close, I have 

 managed to pick up a few things which may be thought wortiiy of notice. Perhaps 

 the best of these was Hallomenus humeralis, of which I took thirty-one examples 

 from a standing dead pine in July ; the tree was greatly decayed, so much so, in 

 fact, that an outer layer of wood, about an inch and a half in thickness, came away 

 almost at a touch. Between this and the sounder wood beneath the Hallomeni were 

 concealed. They are difBcult insects to set, owing to their great fragility, and the 

 antennae, in particular, will scarcely bear even the most careful manipulation. 



Beating hazel bushes into an umbrella early in June pi-oduced several Brachy- 

 tarsus scabrosus. I secured eight examples in all, and missed three or four more. 

 They lie motionless for a few minutes in the umbrella, and are very hard to dis- 

 tinguish ; when once in motion, however, they are very active, and, in the hot 

 sunshine, take wing almost as readily as blue-bottle Hies. A single Apoderus coryli 

 turned up with them. 



Among a number of Anaspides beaten from liawthorn blossom was a specimen 

 which seemed to agree fairly well witJi two examples of A. Garneysi, given to me by 

 the late Dr. Power under the name of A. variegata. Not feeling quite satisfied as 

 to tlie identity of the insect, however, I forwarded it to Canon Fowler, who returns 

 it to me as probably Gariieysi, the impossibility of examining the male characters 

 preventing him from pronouncing with certainty. 



On an old oak fence I found Ptinus lichenum in numbers. If it is always as 

 local as in this instance, it must often be overlooked, as it was absolutely confined to 

 about five yards of fencing out of a couple of hundred, and was very hard to see 

 while resting motionless among the lichens. 



Single specimens of ]£ncephalus complicans and Phytmcia cylindrica turned up 

 in the sweep-net. Poophagus nasturtii was fairly plentiful upon watercress in a 

 small rivulet, while from the sedge, &c., in the marshy ground which bordered it I 

 got Baris T-album, Douacia ajffinis, Haltica consobrina, and Psammcechus bipunc- 

 tatus ; the last commonly. By beating Salix I obtained several Apion minimum. 



