232 [August, 



The weevil Otiorrhynchus rugifrons Gryll., too, occurs far more coBi- 

 moiily here than anywhere else iu the district, a dozen being sometimes 

 found under one small piece of slag. Even Lepidcjdera are not absent, 

 there being present at least Triphaena comes Hb., Noctua xanfho- 

 grapha, F., and Lencania sp., while on vegetation in the untenable 

 marsh the weevil, Apion pisi F., is very abundant. Other species of 

 Coleoptera found iu the same locality' are Harpahis aeneus F., Pristo- 

 nychus terricola Hbst., Laemostenus complanatus^ Dej-j Ocypns ater 

 G-r., 0. fuscatus Gr., Am.a7-a cvrta Dej., A. ronvexiuscula Marsh., etc., 

 while a little nearer the sea, but still in the furnace region, occur in 

 numbers Ai'pva marimis Strom, Dichirotrichni. puhescens Payk., 

 Dyschirius globcms Hbst., Cercyon littoralis Gyll., Bembidiumbipunc- 

 tatum L., Haliplus striatus Sharp, Phytosus baUicns Kr., Cafius 

 xantholoina Gr., etc. The survival of these species seems to show that 

 insect life - largely carnivorous species and those which feed on rotting 

 matter, although phytophagous si:)ecies occur too, e.g., Tapinostola elymi 

 — can adapt itself to what are apporently most unfavourable conditions 

 if, presumably, the change is not a too lapid one. Of course, there is 

 no doubt that many species must have been killed off in the smelting 

 district, but, owing to the absence of records of any age, it is impossible 

 to say how many ; one certain example is Philydrus maritimus Th.,' 

 which occurred in one pool on the south bank of the Tees estuary about 

 twelve years ago ; this is now extinct, owing, however, not to any 

 inability in the insect itself to combat unnatural conditions, but owing 

 to the destruction of its haunts by molten slag. Incidentally, while 

 we are considering the effect of dust on insect life, it would be interest- 

 ing to know what has been the effect of dust, raised by motor traffic, 

 on the plants and insects of our roadsides; perhaps others may hav9 

 made some observations on this subject. 



It is probable that the north side of the Tees, owing partly to the 

 prevalence of south-west winds which blow the dust and smoke across 

 the river, and partly to the greater number of chemical works on that 

 side, will in the end suffer more than the south side, but concerning 

 the effects up to the present I have no data. 



1 " Naturali.st," 1910, pp. 339-40. Geo. B. Walsh, " Coleoptera of the Grangetown Slag-heaps.' 



2 I.e., 1915, p. 1G4. W. J. Fordhaui, " Additions to Yorkshire Coleoptera for 1914. 



3 jide, Mr. M. L. Thompson. 



{To he contimied) . 



