11)15.1 31 



A NOTE ON CARABUS CLATHBATUS L. 



BY JAMES EDWARDS, F.E.S. 



In preparing the last quinquennial supplement to my list of 

 Norfolk Gnleoptera, published by the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' 

 Society, it liecanie necessary to examine Mr. Morley's paper on Carahiis 

 elaihrafiifi (anfea, pp. 5^7-103), more especially with regard to the 

 author's attem2)t to confute the record of its occurrence in England. 

 His general attitude towards the question may be gathered from the 

 first paragraph on p. 1(J2 ; he has not the least hesitation in stating it 

 to be absolutely certain that the insect does not now occur in East 

 Anglia ; and, because he has collected in Suffolk for over twenty 

 years and has published a statement with regard to the total number 

 of species of beetles recorded for Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk 

 respectively, the supposition that it could have been overlooked is 

 unthinkable. But it is conceivable that this would depend to some 

 extent upon the thinker. His reasoning, what there is of it, is 

 unfortunately very diffuse ; but we are, in effect, asked to believe that 

 Leach, Spence, and the entomologists of that day did not know 

 Carabus clatJiratiis. 



Leach, writing to Robert Scales under date of September 30th, 

 1810, says : " You was good enoxigh to give me a specimen of Carabus 

 cJathratus ; if you have any duplicates I shall be much obliged for 

 another to compleat the pair ; a female will be most acceptable, but 

 if you have not a duplicate female, a male will do as well, as I can 

 procure a female for it from a friend." Spence, in a letter to Scales, 

 dated November 4th, 1810, writes : " Having just received the box of 

 insects .... 1 write .... to announce its arrival. Carabus clathratus 

 is a most beautiful species which 1 am much pleased to possess ; and 

 all the i-est are interesting to me." In a letter to Scales, dated 

 Barham, May 3rd, l&ll, Kirby says: "Many thanks for .... your 

 kind intention to give me Car: clathratus when you meet with another." 

 Wilkin, writing to Scales on January 20th, 1812, says: " Leach has 

 repeatedly teized me about Carahus clafhratns fern, promised him by 

 you, and which he supposed was committed to me; I have therefore 

 sent him my ? trusting to you for another." The letters from 

 which the foregoing extracts are made were printed in Vol. IV of 

 the Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Natiu-alists' Society, 

 pp. 97-109 ; the originals I had before me when I assisted in preparing 

 for their publication in 1885. Mr. Morley correctly cites the reference 

 to these letters, but makes no use of the evidence which they afford. 

 Robert Scales was a merchant from the Hull district, who turned fai'mer 



