COLEOPTERA AT CROMER AND HORNING. 807 



My resolution to take things easy was broken on two occasions, 

 when I made day excursions to Horning, and worked in earnest on 

 each occasion. By a study of the map and rail time-table, I found 

 that half-an-hour in the train would take one to Wroxham station, 

 from thence a tramp of two or three miles lands one at Horning, add 

 to this the fact that the G.E.R, is obliging enough to take you to 

 Wroxham and back for the modest sum of Is., and that fen -collecting 

 was to me hitherto an unknown pleasure, is it then any wonder that 

 the temptation was too great to be resisted ? On Thursday, June 

 27th, I set forth from Wroxham station about 9.85 a.m., quite pre- 

 pared for a hot and dusty tramp to my destination ; but fortune 

 favoured me early in the day, as a good-natured farmer gave me a 

 seat in his gig. He informed me he guessed I was going to Horning, 

 by the fishing-tackle I carried. When I had to confess that the 

 "fishing" was to be for beetles, not fish, 1 am afraid I fell pretty 

 low in his estimation ; but probably regained his good opinion some- 

 what when 1 proved able to tackle some Norfolk old ale with him at a 

 wayside inn. I suppose he judged_^that being imbecile enough to collect 

 beetles, such strong liquor would certainly be too much for me, for 

 he warned me of its potency. 



Arrived at Horning, fresh, and quite ready for some hard work, I 

 started to work round a promising-looking reed bed. Donacia ni(/ra and 

 D. nienyanthidis were soon dropping into the umbrella, and some dis- 

 tance in the reeds I swept a fine specimen of Lixus pa raplecticiis oS the 

 flowers of Cicuta virosa, and Dunacia cinerea (8) turned up near the 

 same spot, apparently on a tall growing Carex. Walking up the side 

 of a dyke, I spied a Donacia sunning himself on a water-lily leaf ; 

 the only chance of reaching him was to wade in, this I did, and a fine 

 I), crassipcs was the reward for my trouble, and the risk I ran of 

 posturing legs uppermost, with my head in a foot or more of the 

 filthiest black mud imaginable, owing to several treacherous holes in 

 the bottom of the water-course. Silis ruficollis occurred sparingly all 

 over the marshy ground. By sweeping I took several Meluiethes 

 obscunis, Taclii/iisa nmbratica (1), and a single Stra7i(/alia A-fasciata 

 settled on a reed. Of Donacia dcntipen I found several specimens, and 

 D. lemnae and D. seniicuprea were about in swarms. 



My second visit was a week later, and was a very favourable day for 

 collecting ; not much sun, but fine, with a light breeze, which dropped 

 altogether in the afternoon, leaving the air hazy and close, just the 

 time when beetles evidently love to take a quiet ramble, for change of 

 scene, or some other object best known to themselves. On such 

 occasions even water-beetles are not content with remaining in their 

 natural abode, but come climbing up the reeds and rushes by the 

 waterside preparatory to flight, and, doubtless, this is the reason why 

 three examples of thevAve Hi/drojjoru.^ iici/lcrtu.'iioinidtheiv wsby into my 

 sweep-net at Horning, and also 4 11. uinhnmis. Sweeping altogether on 

 this day was a paying game, for early in the day 1 secured by this 

 means a few more Donacia dentijics and ] >. impressa (2), on Spanjaniiun 

 7'ainosum, and the following were also captured : Amalushocmorrhoiis on 

 Brasdca chciranthus, lihinonchus iiraiiiincus on Poli/(/onu)ii aiiipldbiwn, 

 Olibrua millefolii (2), Psylliodes picina (1), Ceuthorrhi/nc/n(.'<riduatus(^l), 

 Thyamis holsatica (2), Telephoriis t/ioracicm, and a single Odacantha, 

 melanwa. 



