1879.] 91 



Curious gathering of Melanotus puncto-lineattis, Pelerin. — On an early day of 

 this month, on the ground at Hythe used by the School of Artillery for practice, I 

 found a large number of this JElater huddled together on a more or less blighted 

 plant of Senecio Jacobcea. They were thrusting themselves into a common centre 

 under the flower-head, and clinging to the stalk. I was first attracted to the plant 

 by its extreme blackness, and then discovered the cause to be this mass of insect 

 life. There were probably eighty specimens, as many got away in the shingle, for I 

 counted fifty when I got home. Three or four other plants close by had single spe- 

 cimens, but in a more extended search I failed to find more. I have hitherto con- 

 sidered the species to be quite one of our early spring insects. — Id. : August, 1879. 



PentodoH punctatus, Villers, captured in London. — In the June No. (p. 15, ante) 

 I recorded the capture of Carabus auratus in the Borough Market ; and I have again 

 the pleasure to record another interesting capture, — this time of a beetle not indigenous 

 to Britain, in Spitalfields Market. On the 10th of June last I had brought to me by 

 a fi'iend, who is a salesman in the Market, a fine specimen of the above-named insect: 

 it was found by him sauntering leisurely over a sieve of cherries ; although I do not 

 suppose it was revelling in the luxury of the fruit. I need scarcely say the cherries 

 were continental, having been sent from the south of France, and as I can find no 

 record of this insect having been taken in Britain before, I thought this capture might 

 interest many of your readers. It probably does to many seem strange that such 

 insects as Carabus auratus and Pentodon punctatus should occur in our London 

 markets, but my little experience leads me to think that if entomologists generally 

 were to make friends amongst the many salesmen in the markets, we should not un- 

 frequently have records of interesting captures, and probably some few rarities. I 

 may add that Pentodon punctatus is a native of South Europe. — T. R. Billups, 4, 

 Swiss Villas, Coplestone Road, Peckham : August 14th, 1879. 



Beetles inhabiting hot water. — One day on entering my pool as usual in order to 

 take a bath, I was surprised to see in the water, then of the heat of 28 degrees,* a 

 small beetle disporting itself vivaciously ; I supposed that it was a poor creature that 

 had fallen in through a window or otherwise, and I endeavoured, with all the desire 

 of which an entomologist who had not for a long time taken a living insect was 

 capable, to capture my little companion : I soon perceived it was a water-beetle and 

 not a strange guest, for I had much difficulty in catching it, not having any instru- 

 ment to aid me. Nevertheless, I gave myself eagerly to its pursuit, and having 

 succeeded in taking it, on returning to my room I inspected it with a certain curiosity 

 because its habitat then seemed to me peculiar, but with a lens I soon proved that it 

 was a small Laccobius ; and, knowing perfectly all the Swiss species of this genus, I 

 gaw that it was an example of a species new to our fauna at least, but which might 

 probably be referred to one of those described by Eottenberg (Berl. ent. Zeits., xviii, 

 305, 187-i). Every day when bathing I devoted myself to this new kind of chasse, 

 and during the time I remained at Baden I succeeded, with the assistance of my 

 bath-keeper,t in capturing thirty examples of my charming little insect. 



• Its natural heat is from 47i to 49 degi-ees ; in order to obtain 28 the baths are prepared in the 

 evening and cool dviring the night, no other water being added, as I ascertained. (49° R^aum. = 

 142° Fahr., 49° Centigrade = 120° Fahr.) 



t When I asked Jacob, my bath-keeper, "Have you ever seen in the baths you prepare a 

 small black insect like this ? " (.showing him one of them), he replied : " Oh ! yes ; these little 

 fleas, when one wants to catch them, go to the bottom of the water instead of jumiiing like others. " 



