1886.} 93 



generally abundant ; I have never taken it in any numbers elsewhere. But in this 

 neighbourhood it is certainly by far the most plentiful and mischievous species of 

 the genus. — Theodore Wood, St. Peter's, Kent : June 2Qth, 1886. 



Langelandia anophthalma, Auhe, at St. Feter's, Kent ; a species of Coleoptera 

 neio to Britain. — I have great pleasure in recording the capture of this most interest- 

 ing addition to our Coleopterous fauna, having taken some twenty examples in the 

 garden here from decaying seed-potatoes. I first met with the insect, then quite 

 unknown to me, in May, and am still taking it occasionally at the date of writing. 



It has been suggested to me that the beetle may possibly have been 

 imported with foreign grown potatoes, and so be a semi-naturalized foreigner rather 

 than an indigenous species. On making enquiries, I find that the seed in which the 

 greater number of specimens have occurred came from Q-uernsey — a fact which 

 seems rather to favour that supposition. But, on the other hand, I have taken 

 several examples from potatoes raised by myself last year from English seed, and 

 accidently left in the ground during the winter ; and, as the first of these occurred 

 early in May, barely a month after the G-uernsey seed was planted, and at a distance, 

 moreover, of some twenty feet away, there can be little doubt that the beetle was 

 present in the ground before the potatoes. 



Upon the Continent, Langelandia seems to be generally taken in buried logs, or 

 beneath boards, &c., lying upon the ground. Du Val,in his " Genera des coleopteres 

 d'Europe," says of it:— On le trouve principalement sur les pieces de bois plantees 

 dans le sol, ou sous les vieux tonneaux, les vieilles planches, &c., places depuis 

 longtemps dans les jardins." But I am convinced, that it would be found far more 

 plentifully in decaying seed-potatoes if carefully searched for at the time of lifting 

 the crop ; and it is more than probable that other captures of interest would be made 

 at the same time. So far, I have taken in this manner three or four hundred 

 specimens of Adelops, fifty or sixty of Anommatus, and twenty of Langelandia, 

 besides such species as Falagria thoracica and Oxytelus insecatus in greater or less 

 abundance. 



The most productive seed is that which is partly decayed only, and which is 

 moist without being wet ; potatoes reduced, as often happens, to a semi-liquid pulp 

 will yield little or nothing. Great care, however, is always necessary in the examina- 

 tion, for both Anommatus and Langelandia are exceedingly sluggish, and harmonize . 

 in colour so well with their surroundings that they might well be passed by unnoticed. 



In form and size Langelandia, although a member of the LathridiidcB, is very 

 similar to Ditoma crenata, from which it can be at once distinguished by the three bold 

 ridges which run longitudinally along the thorax and elytra, by the uniform dull 

 reddish-brown colour, and by the total absence of eyes. It can scarcely be confounded 

 with any other British species, and any collector fortunate enough to meet with the 

 insect will find little difficulty in identifying his capture. — Id. : August 9th, 1886. 



On the British species of the genus Agenia, Schiodte. — Hitlierto our list of 

 British Ilgmenoptera Aculeata has included only two species of ^^ewiawith banded 

 wings, viz. : variegata, Linn., and hifasciata, Fab., whereas on the continent two 

 other species occur, hircana, Fab., and intermedia, Dahlb. Until quite lately, I 

 never had any doubt as to our British species being correctly named, they were 



