214! [September, 



Caustic fluid of Carabus violaceus. — Strolling along a road at Monk Soham 

 aboiit late dusk (9.15 p.m.) on July loth, I picked up a Carabus violaceus 

 which was running across it, and, on account of the failing light, held it close to 

 my eyes to see its species. Instantly two squirts of fluid (which bvu-ned exactly 

 as did caustic acid some facial moles when I was a boy at school) struck me 

 on the cheek just below the eye, raising small white blisters, which became red 

 in half an hotir or so, and shortly disappeared. — Claude Morlet, Monk Soham, 

 Suffolk : 24:th July, 1911. 



Atheta 2nci2ycnnis, Mann., in the New Forest. — I have taken several specimens 

 of this insect recently in carcases of rabbits near Brockenhvu-st. Having devoted 

 a good deal of time dviring June and July to work in this habitat, I record the fol- 

 lowing as well, all having been met with in sufficient numbers (except when 

 otherAvise noted) to exclude them being reckoned as "strays" : — A. occulta, Er., 

 A. corvina, Th., A.jmberula, Sharp (two only), A. ca^icsccns. Sharp, A. cadavcrina, 

 Bris., and A. cribrata, Kr. A. sordidula, Er., is common in the district, with A. 

 cin^iaynoptcra, Tli., in dry dung, and only occasionally occiu' as strays in carcases. 

 — M. Cameron, H.M.S. Attentive, Home Fleet: Idth July, 1911. 



Aleochara discipennis, 3Iuls., in the New Forest. — Yesterday I had the 

 pleasiu-e of taking a fine fresh specimen of tliis insect, in horse-diing, in 

 the New Forest. It is not likely to be confounded with any species of the 

 genus other than those having a red mark on each wing-case, and from most of 

 these it is easily distinguished by its more slender antennaj. The red-marked 

 elytra and comparatively slender antennae bring it nearest perhaps to A. cuni- 

 culorum. But discipennis is about twice the size of the largest cutiic^dorxim ; it 

 has darker legs and the base of the antenna is black. There is also a good deal 

 of diffex"enee in the scvdptiu-e of the two sjDecies. A. discipennis has been found 

 throughout Central Europe, from France to the Caucasus, but is everywhei*e 

 rare, and I anticipate that it will prove to be very scarce in this country.* It 

 is placed by Mulsant and Eey in the sub-genus Polychara of Baryodma. — 

 D. Sharp, Brockenhurst : Aiujust Hjth, 1911. 



Note on the food-plant of Nanophyes gracilis, Redt. — Since I first met witli 

 this interesting little weevil, at Esher, in August, 1873, and subsequently at 

 Tilgate, Woking, and Brockenhurst, its food-plant has always been an enigma 

 to me, though it is said by continental authorities to have been found on Lotus 

 uligi7iosus and Erica cinerea. On August 5th, however, I found specimens of it 

 under more than one plant of Peplis portula (water purslane), in a dried up 

 pond near Woking. Peplis belongs to the Lythracese, and it seems to me to be 

 far more likely to be the actual food-plant than either Lotus or Erica ; in fact, 

 I have no recollection of seeing either of these latter in some of the localities 

 where the beetle occui-s. — G. C. Champion, Horsell, Woking : August Uth, 1911. 



Criocephalus ferus, Muls., near Guildford. — A female of this species has 

 recently been broiight me from Guildford. It was found on July 24th crawling 



* This specie.s has been recorded as British in Ent. Mo. Mag., xliii, pp. 102, 103 (l!>u7).— G. C. C. 



