272 [December, 



p. 103), I may add, Braemar, Woking, Sheppey, and Hayling Island. This seems to 

 me to be a very dubious species, and scarcely more than a variety of N. palustris. 

 —Id. 



Autumnal Coleoptera at Oxford. — The exceptionally fine and warm weather of 

 this autumn has been very favourable to the use of the sweeping-net, which has proved 

 remunerative up to as late a date as November 17th. Among many species of 

 Coleoptera taken in this way at Wytham Park, I may note Helophorus poroulus, 

 Calodera umbrosa, Homalota pagana and puberula, Homalium oxyacanthse, cassum 

 var tricolor, and iopterum ; Anisotoma cinnamomea, locally, not rare under old beech 

 trees, as usual varying much in size and in the development of the $ , and including 

 one or two of the var. anglica, Rye ; A. rugosa (7) dubia, ovalis, and punctulata, 

 the last-mentioned being common, and often very highly coloured ; Rydnobius 

 punctatissimus sparingly, mostly of the black form ; Phlceophilus edwardsi, Apion 

 filirostre (frequent) and atomarium, Liosomus ovatulus var. collaris, Ceuthorrhynchus 

 moguiitiacua, Schultze, and euphorbix, Hylesinus oleipera, &c. Tetratoma des- 

 maresti, taken here also by sweeping by Mr. J. Collins, is an interesting addition 

 to the local list. 



At Tubney I was fortunate enough on October 30th to sweep up another ? spe- 

 cimen of Anisotoma eurta, within a few yards of the spot where I obtained one on 

 October 15th last year (cf. ante, p. 1). A. triepkei, both sexes, and Aphanisticus 

 pusillus also occurred here, and Lycoperdina bovistie turned up, as many as ten 

 examples being found in one little ripe puff-ball not as big as a walnut. 



A fine $ example of Acanthocinus eedilis — not the first, by the way, that has 

 been met with in the city — was taken in Oxford on October 29th, and brought alive 

 to the University Museum. 



I may here note another specimen of Anisotoma lunicollis from the Isle of 

 Sheppey, taken on August 4th by sweeping on the cliffs. — James J. Walker, 

 Oxford : November, 1908. 



Cryptophagus subdepressus, Gull., and Melanophthalma similata, GylL, at 

 Nethy Bridge.— In the issue of this Magazine for November, 1907 (vol. xliii, p. 250), 

 Mr. Champion said that he had taken these two insects by beating spruce firs at Guild- 

 ford in August and October of that year. Dr. Joy, when introducing the former 

 species to our notice in the October issue (I. v., p. -~h), stated that he had beaten his 

 two specimens off young fir trees. During my visit to Nethy Bridge in August and 

 September last, I, therefore, tried beating the young Scots firs in the hope of finding 

 the new Cryptophagus, but without success ; remembering Mr. Champion's note I 

 determined to try the spruce fir, though that tree is not at all common in that 

 neighbourhood, and was immediately successful ; I found both insects in fair 

 numbers by beating the lower branches of a large group of fine spruce firs in the 

 immediate neighbourhood of the village. 



The Cryptophagus must, I feel certain, be attached to the spruce fir, and 

 Dr. Joy's captures of it on the young Scots fir must have been accidental, for, on 

 working at spruce firs in other localities, I found it was always to be obtained. I 

 took it in the neighbourhood of Loch Garten some three or four miles from the 



