1896. 1 45 



sunshine ; afterwards the nests should be visited once or twice a week, 

 and carefully examined in the following manner: — 



On approaching the nest the stones or bricks should be lifted 

 quickly in turn and placed in the bag described above, and the spot 

 where they rested well searched ; then the stones must be thoroughly 

 overhauled and replaced in their original position. It will be observed 

 that the ants make galleries leading up beneath the stone, and many 

 beetles w^ill be found at the entrance of these galleries, or on the 

 under-side of the stone. Next, the clump of wood should be quickly 

 raised, and smartly rapped over the newspaper to shake off all the 

 debris with which it is covered, and such debris should be shot into 

 the bag ; it can then be sifted in small quantities on the newspaper. 

 I have always found this to be the best plan, as it is easier to see the 

 smaller insects when there is not much rubbish on the paper, I once 

 took ten specimens of Dinarda Maerheli in the debris from a single 

 clump of wood placed on a hillock. 



It is also a good plan to make a small hole in the side of the 

 hillock and place in it a bunch of grass twisted together ; this, when 

 next examined, should be taken bodily out and placed in the bag, it 

 can then be sifted over the newspaper in the same manner as the debris. 



The paths or " runs " used by the ants on leaving or returning to 

 the nest should be closely inspected, and all stones, bits of rubbish, and 

 dead leaves sifted over paper. All herbage near the nest must be 

 swept with a sweeping net and the roots examined. When any moss 

 grows near it should be pulled up and sifted over the paper. 



The nests are often situated at the base of a small pine or other 

 tree, and in this case the branches may be beaten over an umbrella. 



Other species of Coleoptera besides ants'-nest beetles can be taken 

 by watching the ants returning home laden with insects, many of 

 which prove to be beetles. I once took a dead specimen of Cleonus 

 nebulosus, which several ants were dragging towards their nest. 



The following is a list of the species found with Formica rufa : — Aleochara 

 rujicornis, Gr. ; Oxypoda formiceticola, Mark., recondita, Kr., and hcemorrhoa, 

 Sahib. ; Thiasophila angulata, Er. ; Dinarda Mcerkeli, Kies. ; Atemeles emar- 

 ginatus, Pk. ; Myrmedonia humeralis, Gr. ; Notothecta flavipes, Gr., and anceps, 

 Er. ; Homalota parallela, Mann. ; Quedius brevis, Er. ; Staphylinus latebricola, 

 Gr. ; Xantholinus atratus, Heer ; Leptacinus formicetorum, Mark. ; Scydmrnnus 

 pusillus, MiilL, and Godarti, Latr. ; Batrisus venustus, Reiche ; Mutheia plicata, 

 Gyll. ; Ptilium rnyrmecophilum, All. ; Ptenidium formicetorum, Kr. ; Coccinella 

 distincta, Fald. ; Dendrophiliis pygmcBUs, L., and punctatus, Herbst ; Myrmetes 

 piceus, Payk. ; Monotoma conicicollis, Aube, a,nd formicetorum, Th. ; Frionocyphon 

 serricornis, Miill. ; Clythra quadripunctata, L. ; Cetonia Horicola, Herbst. 



