

AND 



JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 



Vol. XV. No. 1. January 15th, 1903. 



Retrospect of a Coleopterist for 1902. 



By Professor T. HUDSON BEA.IIE, B.Sc, F.R.S.E., F.E.S. 

 In my retrospect for 1901, I had to deplore the fact that the year 

 had been singularly unfruitful in additions to our catalog'ue, though 

 several doubtful points had been cleared up; on the other hand, 1902 

 has seen quite an outburst of activity, and we have added no less than 

 nine genuine species to our lists, and several previously unnoted 

 varieties. 1 propose to deal with these additions first, several of which 

 are remarkable and quite unexpected, especially so in the case of the 

 Irish records. L.emostenus complanatus, Dej. — This insect was in- 

 troduced by Mr. S. W. Kemp {Ent. Mo. Mai/., vol. xxxviii., p. 216), 

 on the authority of specimens taken near Dublin in June. The pub- 

 lication of this record at once elicited others. The insect had existed 

 for some time in our collections, being confused with P. terricola, 

 Herbst. It has been taken at Plymouth by Mr. Keys,' at Woolwich 

 by Mr. Bedwell, at Chatham by Mr. J. J. Walker, and at Strood by the 

 author. Bembidium argenteolum, Ahr.-— This addition was announced 

 in a paper read before the Royal Irish Academy on June 24th, 1901, 

 by the Rev. W. F. Johnson and Mr. J. N. Halbei't. The paper has 

 this year been republished as A Lut of the Beetles of Ireland, and 

 was revie-wed in our columns in September last (see p. 251). It ap- 

 pears that the beetle was first taken as far back as 1831, near Shane's 

 Castle, on the northern shores of Lough Neagh, but was confused 

 with B. palitdosiijii. It is clear from the records by Mr. Kemp, Mr. 

 Orr, and others, that it occurs all round Lough Neigh, wherever the 

 shores form a suitable habitat. Xantholinus ciitBKiPENNis, Fauvel. — 

 This was also brought forward for the first tiuie in the above Irish 

 list. It occurs in Donegal and Derry, and is very similar to A'. dUtavs, 

 Kr. ; in fact Canon Fowler suggests {Ent. llo. Ma;/., vol. xxxviii., 

 p. 251) that it is not specifically distinct. It appears to me, however, 

 that it has as clear a title to specific rank as many others which are 

 admitted without hesitation. Stenus palposus, Zett. (argentellus, 

 Thoms.). — This is the last of the three additions due to our Irish 

 friends. Like B. art/cnteolinii, it occurs on the shores of Lough Neagh, 

 a locality already remarkable as the only place, so far known, in which 

 DijKchiriiiii ohscunoi occurs in our islands. This insect is allied to 

 S. buphtlialmns, and appears to be rare on the Continent. Quedius 

 OBI.ITERATUS, Er. — Though Mr. Keys [Ent. Mo. Mar/., vol. xxxviii., 

 p. 117) only claims that he has confirmed this insect as British, it is, 



