78 tApril, 



forefathers. Mr. Eagle Clarke spent five weeks on the island, from 

 September 2nd to October 7th, 1905, with Mr. Norman B. Kinnear. 

 Previous to their visit practically nothing was known regarding the 

 fauna and flora of this island, and very little about the geology. 

 The problem that these gentlemen set themselves to solve was as to 

 whether the island was zoologically a member of the Shetland group 

 or of the Orkney group. As a result of their investigations they 

 have come to the conclusion that it is both zoologically and geologi- 

 cally an outlier of the Shetland group ; but it will be observed from 

 the list of species of Coleoptera given below that very little light has 

 been thrown on this question by the collection of beetles made by 

 Mr. Eagle Clarke, as all the species are common throughout the 

 kingdom, with the exception of OtiorrhynGhus hlandus, which is a sub- 

 alpine species, but is fairly common throughout Scotland. Perhaps 

 the most interesting point in regard to the collection of Coleoptera 

 from this remote island was the large number of specimens of Ocypus 

 olens and of Xantliolinus glabratus found by Mr. Eagle Clarke ; there 

 were from twenty to twenty-five specimens of each of these species. 



The following species occurred : — Carahus catenulatus , Scop. ; NoUophilus 

 higuttatus, F. ; Loricera pilicornis, F. ; Nelria Irevicollis, F. ; Pterostichus niger, 

 Schal. ; P. vigrita, F. ; Amara aulica, Pz, ; A. apricaria, Pk. ; Calathus cisteloides, 

 Pz. ; C. melanocepJialus, L. ; Anchomenus alhipes, F. ; Bemhidium littorale, 01. ; 

 B. hruxellense, Wesm. ; Trechus minutus, F. ; v. ohtusus, Er. ; Aleochara succicola 

 Thorns. ; Tachyporus hypnorum, F. ; TacMnus rufipes, De Gr. ; Quedms tristis, Gr, ; 

 Q. molocMnus, Gr. ; Creophilus maxillosus, L. ; Ocypus olens, Miill. ; Cafius 

 xantholoma, Gv. ', Xantliolinus glabratus, Gr. ; X. linearis, 0\. ; Othius fulvipennis, 

 F. ; Lathrohium fulvipenne, Gr. ; Otiorrhynchus hlandus, Gyll. ; Sitones flavescens, 

 Marsh. ; Aphodius contaminatus, Hbst, ; A. punetato-sulcatus, Stm. ; Geotrupes 

 sylvaticus, Pz. ; Chrysomela staphylea, L. ; Silplia opaca, L. ; Choleva grandicolUs, 

 Er. ; Agahus Upustulatus, L. 



Mr. Eagle Clarke says that Ocypus olens swarms in the houses at 

 Eair Isle, and is quite a pest ; it is not confined to the houses of the 

 crofters, with their earth floors, but also swarms in the laird's house. 

 This is an interesting new point in the life history of this species. 

 Edinburgh : March, 1906. 



A correction. — In the Victoria History of Sussex which has just been published 

 it is said that the fine and strange looking Dipteron, Alopl<ora hemiptera, F., has 

 been bred from Bomhyx neustria ; this, I am sorry to say, was a mistake of my own. 

 As far as I am aware the Alophora has not been bred either in Britain or on tlie 

 Continent.— E. N. Bloomt'IBLD, Guestling : February, 1906. 



