1896.] 281 



silvery " iihan in arffentimaculella, but I fail to see this distinction, unless these 

 captured and slightly rubbed specimens are compared with bred ones : he also asserts 

 that the apical markings are " two only, viz., a costal drop and a spot beneath it," 

 but it has been already shown that the white markings round the apex differ in the 

 two examples, and any series o{ argentimaculeUa will prove how greatly individuals 

 vary in this respect. Another character emphasized by Stainton as distinguishing 

 the Scilly insect from argentimacidella is that in the cilia " the tips are distinctly 

 whitish," but he somehow overlooked the fact, although previously mentioned in his 

 description in I. B. Lep. Tin., p. 36, that such is also the case with argentimaculella 

 — Eustace E. Bankes, The Rectory, Corfe Castle : October Zlst, 1896. 



Oxytelus Fairmairei and Compsochilus palpalis in Bucks. — Both these rare 

 Brachelytra have been taken by myself near Chesham during the past season. Of 

 the former I have two specimens ; one taken in dung in April, and the other from 

 siftings of dead leaves collected in a beech wood in October. The Compsochilus, 

 apparently, came out of some decaying leaves shaken over paper ; but it is just 

 possible it may have flown on to the paper, the afternoon when I found it being 

 sultry in the month of August. At all events, after being bottled it was very 

 restless, making continual efforts to escape by flying. — E. Geo. Elliman, Chesham, 

 Bucks : November \lth, 1896. 



Habits of Homalium gracilicorne and H. brevicorne. — Having taken at 

 different times six or seven examples of each of these very rare species, my experience, 

 though so limited, may be useful to other Coleopterists, from the fact that, the 

 examples having been taken under similar conditions, the habits of these species maybe 

 inferred with some certainty. Each specimen was taken singly from decaying and 

 lichen covered branches of oak recently blown down. Search among the lichen on 

 trunks or sound branches within reach proved fruitless, nor was any specimen 

 obtained from branches which had lain for more than two or three days on the ground. 

 I have only met with success during the two or three days succeeding a great gale. 

 As the insects reside in the lichen and not as Homalium vile usually does, beneath 

 tlie decaying bark, and are readily shaken out, it is probable that the greater number, 

 or, in many cases, all, are dislodged by the fall of the branch, and that an examination 

 of suitable branches on the trees would result in much more abundant captures. Such 

 an investigation, however, is not one that I would willingly undertake or recommend 

 to friends. — A. PiFFAED, Felden, Boxmoor, Herts : October, 1896. 



HarpaJus obscurus, F., in Dorsetshire. — During my stay at Weymouth this 

 summer I was fortunate enough, on September 2nd, whilst turning over stones in 

 search of beetles near the Chesil Beach, to come across a specimen of Harpalus 

 obscurus, F. A second visit to the same spot produced another specimen. I have 

 no doubt, had the weather been more favourable, I could have obtained more, but 

 on account of the drought insects were very scarce. This is quite a new locality for 

 this rare insect, nearly all the existing specimens coming from Cambridgesliire. — 

 Horace Dowisthohpe, 73, West Cromwell Koad, 8.W. : <)ctijher 2^r(l, 1896. 



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