November, 1906.] 241 



MrcHOOLOSSA NTDTCOLA, Fairui., has long been known as an 

 inhabitant of sand martins' nests. Its life history is probably 

 intermediate between the last two, as it may be found in quite fresh 

 nests, and in nests out of which [the young have flown for some time. 

 They art> now (Sept.) still in the nests, and may remain there the 

 whole winter. It is much less commonly found out of its natural 

 hahitat than M. pulla, but it is undoubtedly a more local species. 



MiCHOGLOSSA GENTiLis, Mark. — This is the characteristic beetle 

 of the owls' nest, where it may be found at any time of the year, and 

 I have twice taken single specimens in starlings' nests. Although 

 it has before been taken in owls' nests it is better known as the 

 occasional inhabitant of the nest of Lasius fuliginosiis. Hister 

 merdarius and MicrogJossa pulla have also the double habitat ; in the 

 case of the last two there can be little doubt that the chief host is a 

 bird, and I think it is also with M. gentilis. However, it is a curious 

 fact that M gentilis has the habit, like a Myrmedonia, of curling 

 itself into the shape of an S and lying " possum " for a long time, and 

 it is fairly commonly found in the ants' nest. M. pulla has also 

 this habit, but it is not so pronounced, and it is a more irregular 

 visitor to the ants' nests. M. marginalis will often lie quiet for some 

 time with a slightly upturned apex of the hind body; it has not 

 been recorded from the nests of L. fuliginosus in this country, but 

 Kraatz says it is associated in France with Formica cunicularia. 

 M. nidicola seems always to run away when disturbed, and I do not 

 think it has ever been recorded from an ant's nest. The different 

 effect boiling water has on these species is most striking. It is 

 almost impossible to set M. gentilis after killing it by this means, 

 its hind body is so stifly curled up. M. pulla also sets badly, but not 

 so badly ; M. marginalis sometimes has a slight turn up of the end of 

 the body which is easily corrected ; M. nidicola seems to have no 

 such tendency. 



QuEDius BREVicoENis, Th., which I referred to when describing 

 Q. vexans, is very rarely found outside a bird's nest, yet 1 have taken 

 it on twelve occasions this year in old nests. As is the case with 

 Q. vexans one never finds many in one nest ; there is only -room for a 

 limited number of such a large pugnacious and predaceous species. 



Philonthus fuscus, Gr. — Although this species does occur 

 rarely at Cossus infested trees, and under damp bark, where I have 

 also found its larva, its chief habitat is old nests (starlings and owls) ; 



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