BETROSPECT OF A COLEOPTERIST. O 



what doubtful addition. As mentioned before, no less than 13 of the 

 the above additions are species new to science. 



I do not propose to comment on anj^ of these additions, but would 

 merely like to draw attention to a sentence in a note by Dr. Joy on 

 the genus Colon {Eut. Mo. Ma;/., xlvi., p. 267), in which he states that 

 he is of opinion that certain species must be deleted from our list, and 

 gives as one of his grounds for this opinion, that "no further examples 

 have turned up during the last 29 years, and I think there is little doubt 

 it is an abnormal specimen of some allied species." Canon Fowler 

 drew attention a year or two ago to the danger of describing or intro- 

 ducing new species closely allied to some common species on the 

 strength of the capture of a single specimen. The two species which 

 Dr. Joy thinks must be deleted from our list are Colon puncticolle, Kr., 

 and Colon mierops, Czwal. 



With reference to the naming of colour varieties, I should like to 

 draw attention to the opinion expressed by Mr. G. J. Arrow in the volume 

 on the Fauna of British India dealing with the Cetoniinae and 

 Di/nastinae, p. 28 : — " This colouring is very variable, and different 

 individuals of a species may be grass-green, olive-green, indigo, purple, 

 blue, black, fiery-red, or golden-green. Such shades may always be 

 regarded as interchangeable, and of no significance for the purpose of 



classification Defect of pigment in all these green species 



seems to result in the production of fiery-reds, aod it is probable that 

 the red condition is passed through in the process of attaining the 

 full colouring of maturity. Experiment shows that it is produced in 

 dead specimens by the chemical decomposition which takes place in 

 the green pigment upon prolonged exposure to sunlight." 



During the year there has been a considerable number of records 

 of the capture of rare species. Mr. H. C. Dollman records among 

 others T-jcliins poh/lineatas, Germ., at Ditchling, by sweeping and out 

 of moss ; Xant/iolinns t/laber, Nor., at Richmond Park; Hister merdarias, 

 Hoff. ; Ibjohatea propinquns, Aub., and Xcnraii/ies carinatas, Muls., all 

 from Ditchling. Mr. J. R, le B. Tomlin records Macronijchns 4.-tuber- 

 vidatiis, Mull., from the river Teme, Hereford ; Laccobius scatellaris, 

 Mets., from the river Tavy, and from near Newbury ; and Malthodes 

 hrecicollis, Payk., from Glemsford, Suffolk. Mr. Donisthorpe, Ptinella 

 brltannica. Mat., from a mole's nest in Burwell Fen ; and Bri/oponts 

 riif/ipennis, Pand., from Braemar. Mr. J. Taylor, Cnjptophaf/us siib- 

 fnniatuH, Kr., from Sandown, Isle of Wight ; and Chaetocnema arida, 

 Foud., from Whitefield Woods, Isle of Wight, where it was taken last 

 year for the first time by Mr. Donisthorpe. Mr. R. S. Bagnall, 

 Kiiplcrtiis knnzei, Aub., from Gibside, and Dri/ocaetesaKtoi/raphiis, Ratz., 

 from Westgate-in-Weardale. Mr. C. F. Selous, Colon serripes, Sahib., 

 and Si/ncali/pta setii/era, 111., from Barton-on-Sea. Mr. G. B. Walsh, 

 Leistus montanns, Steph., in some numbers from Skiddaw. Mr. J. F. 

 Dutton, LatJirobiiuii rnfipenne, Gyll., out of wet sphagum in Delamere 

 Forest. Mr. F. H. Day, Omaliiim brevicolle, Pk., from Salkeld, 

 Cumberland. Mr. J. N. Halbert, Steniis palposiis, Zett., Ataniaria 

 u-ollastoni, Shp., and possibly a new species of Hoinalota, all from the 

 shores of Lough Neagh. Mr. P. de la Garde, PJujllotveta diademata, 

 from Shaldon, and Tar/iiniis nifipennis, Gyll., from Exeter. Mr. E. A. 

 Butler, CeKtJior/njnchidiiis iiii.vliis, Muls., and CnjphaUm abietis, Ratz., 

 from Royston. Mr. G. C. Champion, Chaetocnema arida, Foud., 



