1S97.] Ul 



Lepyrus hinotatus at Wellington College. — On March 31st of this year I h;ul 

 tlie luck to take a single specimen of this very rare species, which the Rev. H. S. 

 Gorham kindly identified for me. I found it floating in an open tank at Wellington 

 College.— L. M. Bucknill, Thornfield, Bitterne, Southampton : Mai/, 1897. 



Coleoptera in. the Boll in Valley in 1896. — The Bollin Valley (about 12 miles 

 south of Manchester) has long been a favourite locality with Manchester entomolo- 

 gists. Rising on the borders of Cheshire and Derbyshire east of Macclesfield, the 

 River Bollin flows through the rich Triassic Plain of Cheshire to open into the 

 Mersey near Warrington. It is probably the least polluted of the rivers within the 

 Manchester 15-mile radius, due to its flowing through a district almost entirely 

 agricultural. Macclesfield adds some impurities to the river, but less year by year, 

 owing to the measures taken by the River Mersey Committee. Coarse fishermen 

 still obtain good sport in its waters, amongst the fish taken being the Shouler or 

 Graining (the Lenciscus lancastrenais of Yarrell), a variety of dace found only in 

 certain Lanchashire and Cheshire rivers : in Lancashire the Alt, and in former years 

 the Irwell and its tributaries have produced this species. 



Having taken Bembidiiim paludosum and Bledius suhterraneus on the banks of 

 the Bollin in the summers of 1887, 1888 and 1889, I determined, on July 11th of 

 last year, to renew my acquaintance witli these species if they still occurred there. 

 Though time only permitted of an hour's searching of the north bank between Hale 

 and Castle Mills, I was fortunate in capturing seventeen Bemhidium paludosum and 

 twenty-sis Bledius subterraneus. The former species occurs running rapidly on wet 

 sandy stretches close to the water's edge, presenting in the sunshine a most striking 

 appearance, the elytra flashing with a play of rose-pink, purplish and coppery tints. 

 These hues unfortunately fade a day or two after the specimens are killed and set. 

 The Bledius occurred running on or flying over the dry sandy and clayey banks of 

 the river. 



Besides these two species, which were the special objects of my search, I ob- 

 tained eighteen Bledius pi alii pes along with the B. sulterraneus, also one Tachi/usa 

 seiiula and three T. flavitarsis ; accompanying the Bembidium were a few Elaphrus 

 riparius. Pressing down the mud close to the water's edge produced a series of 

 Heterocerus inarginatus, which rose to the surface and attempted to take flight. 



A second visit to the same locality on the afternoon of July 19th produced, 

 after two hours' collecting, twenty-seven Bembidium paludosum, one B.femoratum, 

 one AmarafuU'a, thirty-seven Bledius subterraneus, six B. pallipes, ten Tachyusa 

 constricta, seven T. scitiila, sis Falagria obscura, twelve Heterocerus marginatus, 

 and two Limneliius truncatellus. From cracks in the banks two Trechus discus, one 

 T. secalis, and seven Clivina collaris were obtained, whilst buried just beneath the 

 surface of dry sand a single specimen of Mgialia sabuleti occurred. — J. Haeold 

 Bailey, 128, Broad Street, Pendleton : May 3rd, 1897. 



ISarly appearance of Formica riifa. — I think it is worth recording the very 

 early appearance of Formica rufa. I took twelve winged females running over the 

 surface of a large hillock made by this species, in a wood near Shaughbridge on 

 April 22nd.— G. C. Bignell, Stonehouse, Plymouth : April 27th, 1897- 



