OOI.EOPTEKA. 



251 



List of British Coleuptcra of 189B, as H. liirisa var. aniiulata, Blatch, 

 This variety was discovered by the late Mr. W. F. Blatch in dead moles 

 and hedgehogs at Knowle, Warwickshire, and a small number of both 

 sexes were taken by him, some of which I believe he gave away, whilst 

 two further specimens I have presented to my friends, and the 

 remainder, which I have selected as types, are in the Blatch collection 

 which is now in my possession. I have since taken it in dead moles. 

 The new variety may be characterised as follows : — 



Hoiiudota (lirisa var. hUitchli, vav. iiov.— A very distinct form differing from 

 the type in tlrat the base of the thorax is much wider than the elytra owing to the 

 strongly developed posterior angles. 



Mr. ]>latch in his correspondence on this insect expressed himself quite 

 satisfied that it was only a variety of H. dicisa, and from my own 

 observations lam able to share this opinion. I have selected the above 

 name in order to perpetually link the name of Blatch with this variety. 

 The discovery forms part of the large amount of work he bestowed on 

 Midland insects, the publication of which he unfortunately was not 

 able to undertake.— H. Willoughby Ellis, F.E.S., Birmingham. 

 Jidii m, 1901. 



A succKssFUL HUNT FOR Lytta vesicatoria, L. — Having deter- 

 mined for some years past to try and find the " blister beetle " in 

 Cambridgeshire, 1 gladly accepted Mr. Verrali's kind invitation to stay 

 with him at Newmarket in July, 1900, especially as a living specimen 

 had been brought to him about that time in 1899. Mr. Verrall 

 thought he knew where the beetle would occur, as there are a number 

 of old ash trees near the spot where the insect which was brought to 

 him was taken. I was not, however, fortunate enough to find the 

 beetle, and came to the conclusion that it was too late, and as, also, 

 the July races were on, I spent the rest of my very pleasant visit 

 racing. This year, Mr. Verrall having again kindly asked me to 

 come Lip and stay with him, and once more try my luck, I determined 

 to run the beetle down if possible. I had made and took down with 

 me a 86ft. pole and a large dust sheet. Mr. Verrali's locality again 

 drew blank, so it was decided to go further afield and beat every ash 

 tree in the county till 1 got it. On June 21st, accompanied by Mr. 

 Collin, having ridden some fifteen miles, and tramped about five, and 

 beaten every ash tree we could find, without success, we began to 

 think that we were engaged in a wild goose chase. We determined, 

 however, to try a few more trees before giving in, and, having reached 

 some fairly young trees, 1 was deHghted to see four specimens seated 

 on a low bough. I shouted to Mr. Collin, who had gone on ahead, 

 that I had got the creature, and after mutual congratulations we set 

 to work with the pole and sheet on all the ash trees near, and with his 

 assistance I was fortunate enough to take eleven specimens. It is 

 nearly thirty years since the beetle was taken, with the exception 

 of one or two single chance specimens. — Horace Donisthorpe, F.Z.S., 

 F.E.S., 58, Kensington Mansions. Jiili/ llth, 1901. 



@^URRENT NOTES. 



Mr. G. Meade-Waldo vecoixh {Entnni., p. 207) a " hybcrnated " 

 Cluira.rcs jasiiis in Tangier, on April 8th, and further states that " the 

 fresh ones come out in August." Surely this species passes the winter 



