n [January, 



Liincly Island, situated off the north coast of Devon, is distant 

 about fourteen miles from Hartland Point, and thirty/ from the Welsh 

 coast. It is an isolated rock of granite, some 3| miles long by half a 

 mile broad, rising more than 400 ft. directly from the sea. It is almost 

 treeless, the vegetation consisting chiefly of heather, grass, bramble and 

 bracken, usually the most unproductive ground for Coleoptera. There 

 are a few boggy places, which, however, were nearly dried up m 

 August, and several ponds of clear water in the rock which harboured 

 a good number of water beetles. Exposed as the island is to the full 

 force of the Atlantic Ocean one must expect a rough passage out to 

 it, and consider himself lucky if he can leave on the day appointed. 

 There is only one landing place, a little bay well sheltered from the 

 prevailing SW. winds, but fully exposed to the east, so that a change 

 of wind may mean a delay of many days in getting off. Indeed 

 there are tales of excursionists being detained even for weeks ! 



I found beetles extraordinarily plentiful both in species and in- 

 dividuals, and nowhere more so than on the western cliffs, where 

 Wollaston says that the continual south-westerly gales seem to be 

 inimical to all life but biul-life. I passed a whole day in exploring 

 about half a mile of this coast, and spent most of the time on the 

 very edge of the cliff while examining the roots of grass and plants. 

 This was most fascinating collecting ; beetles were everywhere, and 

 everything had to be bottled ; and when one found time to rest for a 

 moment it was to glance downwards at the Atlantic waves breaking 

 against great granite rocks four hundred feet directly below, or to 

 occasionally watch a fine buzzard or peregrine falcon sail by on out- 

 stretched wings. The almost dried up carcase of a sheep that had 

 fallen into a crevice in the rock near here was a lucky find. Several 

 species new to the island were shaken out of the wool and bones, 

 including Clamhus pubescens, Eedt., and Gercyon terminatus, Marsh. 



Examining grass and moss in an ordinary grazing meadow was 

 most productive, and about two hours were thus spent on the last 

 day when sitting under a wall to get out of the rain, anxiously waiting 

 for the excursion steamer from Ilfracombe to come in sight. I had 

 no time to explore the north end of the island, where, however, the 

 land is very bare. The cliffs on the east side are not nearly so steep 

 as on the west, and are covered with very thick vegetation. I was 

 somewhat surprised at taking Apteropeda orhiculata, Marsh., and 

 JEncephalus complicans, Westw., by sweeping here in the morning. 



The local Fsylliodes and Ceutlwrrhynclius were feeding in some 



