256 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



appears to be very widely distributed throughout Europe, though 

 Ganglbauer states that it is rare. Fauvel (" Faune Gallo-Rhenane," 

 vol. i., p. 98) in describing this species says rightly enough that it has 

 the facies of LatlirimaeHni miicolor, and, according to him, the localities 

 in which it has been taken are spread all over Europe. It may be 

 worth while appending Ganglbauer's table for separating the European 

 species of (Hophnim. 



Table of Species of Olophrum. 

 1. Sides of the thorax, only rounded close to the anterior 



angle .... . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 



Sides of the thorax cut away obliquely at the 



anterior angles, body somewhat elongate. . . . rotundicolle, 



Sides of thorax completely rounded, body short and 

 broad 



Sahib. 



Sides of thorax sinuate behind the middle, body 



somewhat elongate . . . . . . . . . . alpinum, Heer ; 



C0NSI3IILE, Gyll. 

 3. Basal angles of the thorax completely rounded .. .. piceum, Gyll ; 



FUScuBi, Grav. 

 Basal angles of the thorax bluntly angled, and only 



rounded at the point . . . . . . pdncticolle, Epp. ; assimile, Pk. 



Four of the above species have now been found in Great Britain ; 

 of the others pnm-ticolle appears to be confined to south-east Europe, 

 and is therefore unlikely to occur in our country, but alpiniiiii, which 

 has been taken in the Alps and Pyrenees, and rotiimlicolle, which occurs 

 in Lapland and Finland, might probably be found in the northern 

 parts of Scotland. 



It is worth while pointing out that Ganglbauer says cuufiioiile occurs 

 on the shores of the Baltic, so there is no reason why it should only 

 occur in this country on mountains. Alpinum is very like it, being 

 somewhat more convex and more coarsely punctured. The shape of 

 the thorax at once separates rutunilicolle. 



Assiiiiile appears to be found on the Continent in moss, and, under 

 dead leaves in woods, and from its distribution should occur in England. 

 Owing to the heavy rainfall over north-east Scotland in the early days 

 of September, the Spey was in high flood for a couple of days, the 

 refuse we worked was strewn along the river-banks for miles, and was 

 crowded with beetles during the first few days after the river had sub- 

 sided to its normal level. 



Cyanide Killing=bottles. 



Several recipes have been given in entomological journals, and in 

 Mr. Tutt's excellent Practical hint.s, for making "cyanide killing- 

 bottles." The method which we have found the best and the most 

 durable, has not apparently been adopted to any extent. It may, 

 therefore, be of some use to other entomologists to explain it, and the 

 chemical reasons why this type of killing-bottle is to be preferred. 

 Killing-bottles made according to the usual methods have but a short 

 life, and generally moisture forms on the surface of the plaster at the 

 bottom of the bottle. The action of a cyanide killing-bottle, depends 

 on the liberation of hydrocyanic acid gas from the potassium cyanide 

 by the carbon dioxide and water of the atmosphere, the end 

 of the chemical action being expressed thus: 2 KCN-fCOg-t- 

 H20 = 2 HCN + KoCOg. The carbonate of potash thus formed 

 is hygroscopic, and deliquesces with the water of the atmosphere. It 



