1311.) 89 



much loss than the apparent, owing" to the flattening of the corpse and the fact 

 that it lies below the level of the upright uninjured vegetation around. In 

 loose earth, of course, the biirial may be very much moi-e complete, as the 

 mould is easily pushed outwards from beneath the body, and because the 

 larger Necrophori then also assist in the work. It appears to me possible that 

 some of the Coleoptera found in moles' nests really feed upon the fly and flea 

 larva; also present, and these beetles might be expected to be more numerous 

 in the mould round than in the nest itself. 



The value of knowledge of the insects which prey upon the larvae of 

 Diptera lias only been recognised since the accumiilation of evidence that the 

 spread of certain diseases, such as enteric fever and the svunmer diarrhoea of 

 infants, is dvie to a large extent to adult flies. Further observations, therefore, 

 upon these insects, both in carcases and manure heaps, is of decided interest 

 and importance. — C. F. Selous, Barton-on-Sea, Hants : December, 1910. 



— > Coleoptera from underground wasps' nests. — Having opened the underground 

 nests of wasps for several successive years in search of Coleoptera, a short account 

 of the species found may prove interesting to other Naturalists, The first nest 

 was opened on 12.11.07, and contained a pair each of Oxypoda spectahilis, Miirk., 

 and Qiiedius puncticollis, Th., and several examples of Homalota ravilla, Er. 

 A second nest contained another pair of Q. puncticollis, Th., several Homalota 

 occulta, Er., Choleva tristis, Pz., chrysomeloides, Pz., with large numbers of Crypto- 

 phagus puhesce7is, Stm. A third nest was opened on 14.11.07, and contained 

 saveral examples of Q. puncticollis, Th., C. tristis, Pz., chrysomeloides, Pz., and 

 H. ravilla, Er. 



The following season, 1908, only one nest was marked down, and it was 

 opened early in November, when it contained two Oxypoda spectabilis, Mark., 

 three 0. vittata, Miirk., a pair of Q. puncticollis, Th., a number of H. ravilla, 'Er., 

 and C. puhescens, Stm. 



In 1909 the wasps vacated their nests earlier in the season, and the first 

 nest was opened on 16.10.09. and contained a pair of O. spectahilis, Mark., several 

 0. vittata, Miirk., and one Proteinus ovaJis, Steph. A second nest yielded several 

 Q. puncticollis, Th., and 0. vittata, Mark. A third nest was explored 1.11.09 and 

 contained several 0. vittata, Mark., and a few H. ravilla, Er. A fourth nest 

 opened 30.12.09 contained H. ravilla, Er,. in numbers, but no other species. 



In 1910 only one nest was located, and owing to the mild weather the wasps 

 did not finish work until the first week in December, the nest was opened within 

 a few days and contained several 0. vittata, Mark., and H. ravilla, Er., in 

 nvunbers. 



Of the beetles found Quedius puncticollis, Th., has only occurred on three 

 occasions away from the nests, one being dug ovit of a rabbit bvu-row and two 

 beaten from the growing branches of Scotch pine. Oxypoda spectabilis, Mark., 

 was taken once in a dead rabbit ; 0. vittata, Mark., has been taken several 

 times amongst haystack refuse, ff. ravilla, Er., is a regular inhabitant of 

 underground nests, and has been taken in the nests of moles, rabbits, and field 

 voles. Cryptophagus pubescens, Stm., though not always present, appears to 

 make its home in these nests ; in the two nests where it was present it was in 



