278 [November, 



Coleoptera in the Lea Valley, 1903. — During the first six months of the 

 present year ill-health prevented me from paying nuieh attention to entomology ; 

 I may, however, mention the capture during this period of a specimen of Deleaster 

 dichrous, G-rav., which flew into the house on a warm still evening in April. 

 In the same month, at Cheshunt, I noticed a few examples of Ilypera pollux, 

 F., V. alternans, Steph. After Wliitsuntide I was able to resume operations, 

 and among my recent captures there are many species which have not been met 

 with by me in previous years in the Lea Valley. From a gravelly pasture at 

 Edmonton I got a nice series of Cercyon ohsoletus, GylL, though never more than 

 one or two on any single visit ; with it eight other Sph(eridiincB occurred. Aphodii 

 seemed unusually abundant this summer, and I met with four species not ])rcviously 

 noticed here : A.f(etens, F., was common in July at Broxbourne, where sheep dung 

 produced a few A. pusil/ux, Herbst ; at Edmonton A. sordidus, F., was to be found 

 in dung throughout July and August, and flew in great numbers at dusk ; A.porcus, 

 F., two in horse dung, each of them close to the mouth of a boring of Geotrupes 

 stercorarius. Mister unicolor, L., which I had not seen since 1899, turned up singly 

 in dung on Chingford Marsh, and a few H. purpurascens, Herbst, under vegetable 

 refuse in a cultivated field at Edmonton, where I also got a single example of 

 Gnathoncus nannetensis. Mars. I was sorry to find that the habitat of the colony 

 oi Hister merdarius, F., at Broxbourne {cf. Ent. Mo. Mag., 1902, p. 268) had been 

 practically destroyed, and its occurrence there again is very doubtful. Sweeping at 

 Edmonton produced Fhyllolreta conxohrina, Curt., and Ochina hedera, Miill., both 

 rarely, and Psetidostyphlus pilummis, Gl-yll., one only, from Matricaria, in a spot 

 where in 1901 I took a large number. Brushing at dusk in a grassy place under 

 elm trees on the Essex side of the Lea at Cheshunt on June 27th produced half a 

 dozen specimens of Omias molJinus, Boh., and in the viciiiityl beat four Anthocomus 

 fasciatus, L., out of a hedge ; on the Hertfordshire side of the river I got a few 

 Tanymecus palliatus, F., by sweeping, and a few males of Magdalis harbicornis, Latr., 

 from a hawthorn hedge near the railway. In Linnria flowers at Broxbourne, Bra- 

 chypterus gravidus,l\\.,y!?is \r\ a\iwnAn,r\ce early in August, and by sweeping the 

 numerous bushy plants of Malva, which form quite a feature of the riverside flora 

 there, a few Podagrica fuscipea, L., turned up, besides the usual Apions (ceneum, 

 F., radiolus, Kirby, and rufirostre, F.) in great numbers, while in a backwater 

 Donacia sparyanii, Ahr., was to be seen, basking on the leaves of Nuphar lutea. 

 On August 16th, at Palmer's Green, I met with several of the curious little Leptinus 

 testaceus, Mull., running at the entrance to a rodent's hole at the base of an oak, 

 and in fungus close by Triphyllus suturalis, F., in all its stages, occurred. In a 

 grain and seed merchant's shop at Edmonton, during the same month, Niptus 

 crenatus, F., was in abundance, but rubbed, and a few fine fresh specimens of N. 

 hololeucus, Fald., were found, apparently quite at home, at the bottom of a box of 

 " shell gravel ;" I also got here several examples of a species of Ptinus, or of a genus 

 allied to it, which does not appear to have been hitherto recorded from this country. 

 I understand that this insect has been met with by others, and that attempts are 

 being made to identify it. — F. B. Jennings, 152, Silver Street, Upper Edmonton, 

 N. : October 7th, 1903. 



Coleoptera at Guildford and Godalming. — On August 22nd I found two speci- 



