19S [September, 



COLEOPTERA OCCURRTNa IN" THE NESTS OF MAMMALS 

 AND BIRDS. 



BY NORMAN H. JOT, M.R.C.S., F.E.S. 



When I took CJioleva colonoides, Kr., and several other supposed 

 rare Coleoptera in some numbers in a few birds' nests last year 

 {cf. Ent. Mo. Mag., No. 501, p. 39), I was convinced that these were 

 no exceptional nests, but that a little systematic work would prove 

 that these insects are really quite common, considering,^ how many of 

 our common species of birds build in holes in trees. I have therefore 

 the whole of this summer devoted most of my spare time to the 

 examination of birds' nests, and have also extended mv researches to 

 the nests of mammals. In finding the former I of course have found 

 no difficulty, but the latter are far harder to discover, although they 

 eventually proved to be even more interesting, nnd I will describe 

 their Coleopterous inhabitants first. 



It is only a few of the British mammals that make a nest at all, 

 and several of these are so comparatively uncommon and conceal 

 their nests so well that I have failed to find one this summer ; these 

 are, for instance, the weasel, stoat, hedgehog, shrew, &c. The water 

 vole's nest would be rather difficult to locate and to get out, but I hope 

 to find time soon to examine some. The fox does not make a nest, 

 but of course beetles may be found in its " earth " as they are in 

 rabbits' "burrows," but I do not intend to give them more than a 

 passing notice here. Kabbits' nests or " stops " require some special 

 experience to discover, but no doubt would contain beetles of interest, 

 as one did which I record later. Yoles, rats, and mice I have done 

 very little at this year, and in former years have only taken Leptinus 

 tesfaceus, Miill., on several occasions from their nests. Squirrels' nests, 

 which are generally more difficult to reach when found than to find, and 

 badgers' nests I refer to later. But fortunately there is one mammal 

 which makes a nest underground, which with very little experience 

 can be found in almost any number. This is the mole. When I dug 

 up and examined my first mole's nest last March it was obvious to 

 me that I had discovered a quite new method of collecting, as I at 

 once turned up several specimens of two species not before recorded 

 from Britain and some others, sometimes in large numbers, which 

 have always been regarded as very rare. Since then I have examined 

 about sixty nests from this district and five from Devonshire. It 

 would have been more correct to have done a full year's work at this 



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