1885. J gy 



abundant Ecliium vuJgare and Lycopsis arvensis, on whicb. plants I 

 have always hitherto taken it ; C. vicinus, sparingly, by sweeping 

 Achillea miUefolium ; Bnris ahrotani (picicornis), common at roots of 

 Meseda lutea, growing in clean loose sand, the specimens mostly very 

 large and brightly coloured. 



By promiscuous sweeping on the banks of the Little Ouse, 

 Haliplus Jliiviatilis, Pcederus riparius, Phalacrus caricis, Cercus pedi- 

 cularius (common on Spiraea), and Silis ruficoUis, were the best things 

 obtained. 



The Lepidopfera were a complete failure, the only one of the 

 Brandon specialities which I saw being a miserably worn Litliostege 

 griseata, and even the commonest species were very poorly represented. 

 The sole exception was CaUimorpha jacolcece, the larvae of which were 

 in the utmost profusion, having nearly everywhere eaten their food- 

 plant, the ragwort, down to the bare stalks. 



Among the Semiptera I may mention Fseudophlceus Falleni, 

 which occurred sparingly, along with Nysius thymi, at the roots of 

 Erodium. 



H.M.S. " Cherub," Portland : 

 August Qth, 1885. 



Ahdera 4:-fasciata, and other CoJeoptera in Kent. — Two or three excursions, in 

 the early part of July, to Cobham Park, one of my favourite old hunting-grounds in 

 the Chatham district, were, as regards Coleoptera, fairly successful, although insects 

 of all orders were by no means as abundant as in past years. 



The best capture was perhaps Ahdera 4^-fasciata, of which species Mr. Gr. C. 

 Champion and I were fortunate enough to stumble on a small colony, in a large, 

 partly decayed hornbeam tree. It occurred chiefly under the dry, loose bark, and 

 in some very dry fungoid growth on the rotten wood, in company with Cis festivus ; 

 but a few were taken, running very actively on the tree-trunk. Altogether, we 

 bottled about 30 specimens, varying greatly in size, like most wood-feeders : it is 

 one of the most fragile insects with which I am acquainted. 



Cryptopliagus rujicornis occurred very sparingly under the loose bark of some 

 large ash logs, as before in company with Dqjhyllus lunatus : these logs also 

 produced Euplectus hicolor, Bythiniis Curtisii, Cerylon ferrugineum (common), 

 Paromalus flavicornis, Abrceus glolosus, Lathridius testaceus (a few), JTglesinus 

 crenatns, &c. 



Cryptarcha strigata and imperialis turned up at the exuding sap of a Cossus- 

 infected oak, and the showy and active Oxyporus rufus in toadstools : and by 

 sweeping, the best things obtained were Homalota hepatica (1), Anisotoma parvula, 

 Cyrtusa pauxilla, Hydnohius strigosus, Tillus elongatus, Liosomus oUongulus (2), 

 and a few Ceuthorhynchideus versicolor —5. J. Walker, H.M.S. "Cherub," 

 Portland : August 6th, 1885. 



