1905.] 45 



Mj observations on Tiidtaii Satyrids will bo found in a paper read before the 

 Entomological Society of London, December 7tli, 19 J4, wliich will I hope a[)pear in 

 the Transactions for 190J. — Gr. B. Longstaff, Highlands, Putney Heath, S.W. : 

 January Wth, 1905. 



Harpalits discoideus, F., and Metoecus paradoxus, L., at Leightoii Buzzard. — 

 In a recent number of the Ent. Mo. Mag. (April, 1901), the capture of a black $ , 

 Harpalus discoideus, is recorded by Mr. Jennings from Brandon. 



As bearing upon the variation in the colour of the male of this rare beetle, as 

 well as for other considerations of interest, it may be well to give a few particulars 

 of its appearance here. 



During the past July, August, and September, I have succeeded in taking in 

 this neighboui'hood twenty-four examples of the S , together with which I was 

 present when two or three more were taken by my brother, Mr. L. R. Crawshay, 

 and it is interesting to note that all without exception were bright green in colour. 

 Nor does Canon Fowler in his " British Coleoptera " nicntion the black form of 

 the (J . I may add that ? s occurred in about equal proportions to the c? s, together 

 amounting to fifty specimens. I do not know whether H. discoideus has previously 

 been recorded from this part of Bedfordshire, though Canon Fowler mentions 

 Woburn, 9 miles distant, and Sandy, on the other side of the county, as localities. 



As to its habitat here, it seems to be partial to a cultivated sandy soil rather 

 than heaths and poor sandy places, for, although my search for it had previously 

 been directed especially towards the latter, two specimens only occurred there, 

 wliile the remainder were taken on the borders of three different ploughed fields in 

 which the remains of manure were visible, and which were occupied at the time by 

 crops of a late potato. Mr. C. O. Waterhouse kindly looked over half of these 

 specimens and confirmed them. 



Of Metoecus paradoxus, L., one specimen, a $ , beaten from a birch bush by my 

 brother, Mr. L. R. Crawshay, on September 3rd, 1902, revealed the presence of this 

 species of beetle in the neighbourhood of Leighton Buzzard. 



In 19D3 further casual beating was without success. This year I resolved to 

 search for it in wasps' nests, and met with the following results. 



Out of five nests examined, four (Fetpa vulgaris, Linn.), contained Metoecus in 

 one stage or another of its existence, together with larvse, pupse, and imagines of 

 wasps. 



In the fifth nest {Vespa germaiiica. Fab.) from which the beetle was absent, all 

 the cells but six had been vacated by the wasps, and nearly all the community were 

 gone. The nests were situated on the borders of a wood, within three quarters of a 

 mile of each other, and of the place where the original ^ had been discovered. 



The following particulars of these nests may be interesting : — 



Estimated 



number of Metoecus paradoxm 

 Community. Destroyed, wasps present. present. 



: 1 larra. 



No. l.— Vespa vulgaris, Liini Sept. 2Uth 5257 24 j 16 pupae. 



(. 7 imagines. 



'So.2.— Vespagermanica,Fiih Sept. 20th 150 None. 



No. 3.— Vespa vulgaris, Linn Oct. 4th 1500 9 j g unagines. 



No. 4!.— Vespa vulgaris, hum Oct. 4th 300 1 pupa. 



No. 5. — Vespa vulgaris, Jjinn Oct. 13th 2036 1 imago. 



