146 



the appearance of the country I hoped that it would yield a good supply of 

 Hydradephaga, but in this I was mistaken. Many a pond of promising appearance 

 did I search, but, whatever may have been the cause, with very little result. In 

 the Philhydrida, however, Helophorus arvernicus, Muls., surrendered to my summons 

 in a small pond very much choked up with weeds near Ashley. I cannot but think 

 that my bad luck in water beetles generally, was owing to some accidental cause, 

 as localities so promising in appearance ought to be productive. 



The valley of the BoUin repaid my efforts better than most spots. On the 

 sandy banks of the river, close to the water's edge, Tachyusa leucopa was running 

 about in swarms in the hot sunshine, accompanied by occasional specimens of T. 

 constricta, Tschnopoda longitarsis and rubicunda, Homalota intermedia, Bembidium 

 Manner heimii, &c. ; Genryssus pygmceus was also to bo seen hiding its nakedness in 

 a garb of dirt. Sweeping the herbage near the river afforded Anthobium minutum, 

 Apion afer and violaceum, Stenus fuhncornis, &c., and my brother (Mr. J. B. Black- 

 barn) captured Pachyta octomaculata flying over flowers. 



A visit to Carrington Moss was attended with very small results. A dry bank 

 that I passed on the way to it presented a somewhat singular appearance. I gave 

 it a careful search. The grass in several large tufts appeared to have withered, 

 and lay dry in the midst of the fresh grass. These tufts I shook over bi'own paper, 

 and they yielded Lnstus rufescens (in swarms), Stenus nitidus and picipennis, 

 Atomaria atricapilla and Berolinensis, Elodes marginata, and many other commoner 

 species. On the moss itself I took, by searching at the roots of heath, Homalota 

 euryptera and Philonthus marginatus ; by beating firs, Cyphon padi ; and, by beating 

 birches, Elater balteatus. 



At Hale I found some ponds completely choked up with reeds, on which were 

 swai'ms of Ponacice. On one small pond there were seven species, viz. : — dentipes, 

 lemna, sagittariee, linearis, typhcB, sericea, and aquafica, all commonly, except the 

 last one. In an adjacent plantation I found a specimen of Cryptophagus pubescens. 



After paying a short and eminently unsuccessful visit to Delamere Forest, I 

 left Bowdon and transferred my search to the Lake District. Here my troubles 

 began, for the weather, which had so far been moderately fine, from this time was 

 immoderately wet, and assumed that utterly unreasonable and dreary character 

 which those alone who have visited the Lake District, can imagine. The meagre 

 character of the list which follows, I attribute entirely to the atrocious weather, as 

 the success which met my efforts on the one moderately fine day during my stay, 

 gives me a verj' high opinion of the capabilities of the District. Except on that 

 one day, I was scarcely collecting an hour continuously while rain was not 

 actually falling. 



The only mountain which the weather allowed me to ascend was Coniston Old 

 Man, but I there took several good species. Near the summit, by turning over 

 loose stones, I obtained specimens of Patrobus clavipes, Anchomenus micans. 

 Trechus obtusus, and Quedius umbrinus and attenuatus ; and, by sweeping the her- 

 bage, Antkopfiagus alpinus and Arpedium braehypterum. 



At the foot of waterfalls I met with Quedius auricomus, Dianous ccerulescens, 

 and Stenus Guynemeri. I can add Westmoreland to the counties where the last 

 named species is said, in Mr. Rye's paper on the Steui, to occur. 



On the banks of streams Tachyusa lencopa was common, and I detected a few 

 specimens of the rare Homalota currax running about in its company. 



