100 fMay, 



fint), and qffinis (common). Two otlier species have been recorded 

 from the district, D. a^assipes, attached to the water lily, and the rare 

 D. sparganii from Pegwell Bay (Eev. H. S. Gorham). It is very much 

 to be feared, however, that the disastrous high tide of November 29th, 

 1807, by flooding the ditches with sea water and killing off the aquatic 

 plants growing in them, has greatly reduced the number of these 

 interesting beetles. 



Sweeping on the ditch banks is often very productive in other 

 species, and has yielded Ily abates forticornis, Calodera umbrosa, Mega- 

 cronus analis, Limnichus pygmceus, Scirtes JiemispJicericus (very abund- 

 ant), Galerucella nympliodce, Aplithona nonstriata (abundant on Iris 

 pseudacorus) , Crepidodera smaraqdina, Cassida murrcea (near Sandwich), 

 Hypera Follux and its beautiful var. alternans, Steph. (Julini, Sahib.), 

 H. suspiciosa, Qrypidius equiseti, Thryogenes nereis, and scirrhosus. 

 Bayous alismatis, subcarinntus, and nodulosus (the last-mentioned very 

 rare weevil has also been taken by Dr. Sharp and Mr. E. Saunders at 

 Pegwell Bay, with the equally rare Clavicornes, TehnatophiJus spar- 

 ganii* and brevicolUs), Hkinoncus gramineus and perpendicuJaris, 

 Eubrychius velafus, Litodactylus leucogaster, and Phytobius 4!-fubercu- 

 lafus, among very many other species of less interest. 



Many interesting aquatic beetles frequent these ditches, and may 

 be taken with the water-net ; of these perhaps the best is Laccophilus 

 vnriegatus* usually rare, but on one occasion taken in abundance by 

 Mr. G. C. Champion. Cnemidotus impressus, Noterus clavicornis and 

 sparsus, Coelambus paralJelograonmus and picipes, Agabus conspersus, 

 Copelatus agilis, Rhantus pulverosus, and (in the PMlhydrida') Hydro- 

 hius oblongus, Enochrus bicolor, Paracymus nigro-ceneus, and Helophorus 

 intermedius, all occur more or less commonly, and four species of 

 Gyrinus, of which marinus is plentiful, elongatus not uncommon, and 

 the rare G. Svffrinni is not unfrequently met with. The very local 

 and scarce Dytiscus circumcinctus, a fen species usually, has been re- 

 corded, and in the little pond close to the " Chequers," 7). circumjleccus 

 occurs not uncommonly, with Agabus nebuJosus, Rhantus notatus, and 

 abundance of the curious squeaking Pelobius Hermanni. 



While searching for beetles, the collector will of course come 

 across very many insects of other Orders, and more especially the 

 Hemiptera, and so far as local, rare, and interesting species in this 

 Order are concerned, the Deal sandhills are so productive that we are 

 tempted to enumerate a few of the more conspicuous forms. A 

 favourite resort of several of the rare bugs is under the spreading 



