240 [August, 



A list of the Coleoptera of Marocco. — Under the title " Los Coleoptei'os de 

 Marruecos," the Institute Nacional de Ciencias Fisico-Naturales of Madrid has 

 recently published a list of the beetles of Marocco (Trabajos del Mnseo Nacional 

 de Ciencias Naturales, Ser. Zool., Niim. 11, Nov. 1914) by Manuel Martinez de 

 la Escalera. It is mainly based upon collections made by the author and his 

 son Fernando during- a residence of several years in the country, chiefly at 

 Mogador, and, of course, includes a list of the Coleoptera previously recorded 

 fi'om Marocco. Nearly 3,000 named species or varieties are enumerated, some 

 200 of which are described as new by the author. The lists of Cicindelidae, 

 Carabidae, and Staphylinidae (1898), and Heteromera (1891), of the Straits of 

 Gibraltar, published by myself in the Trans. Ent. Soc. London, based upon the 

 collections made by Commander Walker on the two sides of the Straits, have 

 been drawn iipon by M. Escalera for the Maroccan forms, thouo^h one or two 

 conspicuous Carabidae, etc., such as Casnonia olivieri Buq. {I.e., 1898, p. 83), from 

 Tetuan, have been overlooked. The authoi', or his son, has visited various places 

 south of the Atlas, etc., but not much has been done in the Atlas itself, owing 

 to the impossibility of camping there. To describe such a large number of 

 species or varieties while resident in Mogador, away from the necessary reference- 

 collections and literatvire, must surely add to the synonymy ? The author, 

 however, states that he has constantly consulted M. Louis Bedel, of Paris, on 

 these matters, and that this veteran Coleopterist has helped him throughout. 

 The fauna of Melilla is said to have a marked Mediterranean character, while 

 that of Tangier* shows a strong Andalucian affinity, though much less than 

 might be expected, taking into account the short distance across the Sti'aits. 

 Starting from Larache southward the coast-fauna commences to acqxiire an 

 exclusively Atlantic character, changing again at Mazagan, where very few of 

 the forms common to Mogador and Tangier are to be met with. Of the species 

 enumerated, upwards of 500 belong to the Heteromera, 450 to the Rhynchophora, 

 300 to the Carabidae, etc. The list runs to 553 pages, 13 of which are devoted 

 to an index of the families, genera, etc.— Gr. C. Champion, Horsell, Woking : 

 July, 1915. 



Coleoptera in the Plymouth district. — In March, 1902, at Whitsand Bay, 

 near Plymouth, I captured a brilliantly metallic greenish-blue example of 

 Amara ovata F. Having recently ascertained that this is a named variety — 

 — ab. adamantina Kol. — I think it worthy of record. It is apparently new to 

 the British list. I should also have previously noted the occurrence of the var. 

 variegatus Er. of Cafns xantholoma Grav., in the Plymouth district. It is 

 sometimes found in numbers. I have known it for years, bvit have omitted to 

 record it. In June last, I took seven examisles of Limnobaris T-album L. in one 

 of the creeks of the River Lynher. This is a new record for Cornwall. Several 

 examples of Polydrusus chrysomela 01. were also swept with it. This species is, 

 however, already in the Cornish list, but on the evidence of a single specimen 

 only — James H. Keys, 7, Whimple Street, Plj'inouth : July, 1915. 



* During my very brief visit to Tangier in 1895, I was unable to add anything from this 

 well known locality. 



