^gg [January, 



Bare Coleoptera in Scotland.— While spending a holiday this summer in North 

 Britain, I took some examples of Amara Quenseli, Harpalus ^-punctatus, Agathidium 

 rhinoceros, and Hylurgus minor. These were the principal captures, but Miscodera 

 arctica, Tachinus proximus and T. pallipes, Anthophagus alpinus, Acidota crenata 

 Agathidium rotundatum, Hydnobius strigosus, Otiorhynchus maurus, and a " pug " 

 I do not recognise, which may he nothing more than a strange form of Eup. succen- 

 turiata, besides fine varieties of common insects, also occurred and perhaps are note- 

 worthy. — Id. 



Pterostichus vulgaris, Sfc. t in a frog's stomach. — -On opening the stomach of a 

 dead frog, in the summer, I found inside it three large beetles : Pterostichus mtlgaris, 

 Harpalus ceneus, and Barynotus obscurus : the two former were but little injured, 

 and the latter was quite perfect in every respect, except that most of the scales had 

 been rubbed off. These three beetles almost filled the stomach, and it seems strange 

 that its thin covering can resist the jaws and claws of large Carabidce ; there must 

 be some poisonous effect in the saliva which destroys them at once. 



I mentioned this fact to Mr. Matthews, who told me that the frogs had not got 

 it all their own way : a little while ago, he saw a frog on his garden path, evidently 

 in trouble, and, on examining it more closely, he found that a large Carabus viula- 

 ceus had fast hold of it by the leg. He kept the frog to see what would happen to 

 it, and it Boon died, evidently poisoned by the acrid excretion of the Carabus: this 

 excretion seems to be a powerful irritant poison, and to be capable of producing 

 considerable pain if discharged over the human face, or any part of the body where 

 the skin is thin. — W. W. Eowlek, Lincoln : December 9th, 1881. 



Lebia crux-minor in Japan. — On the 31st July I crossed an elevated pass in the 

 centre of the main island called Shiwojiritoge, the altitude was nearly 3500 feet, and 

 the temperature about that of a summer day in the south of England. The whole 

 district was gay with the flowers of Siberian type, and there were no trees or shrubs, 

 so that the general aspect viewed from a distance was that of the Sussex downs, but 

 when seen close, the flowers were massed together, and rose one or two feet high. 

 Here, on a species of Arctium, I found a large Larinus, and in beating to get speci- 

 mens, one or two Lebia crux-minor fell into my umbrella, I soon discovered plenty 

 of them feeding on the saccharine matter exuding from the burrs. Associated with 

 them, I also discovered a new Lebia, which was, however, very scarce, and I secured 

 but three or four during more than an hour's search. The number of the commoner 

 LebicB I saw during the time must have been over 100, and they were all of the 

 north European type with red legs, and I did not find one of the Italian var. 

 nigripes, which is the form usual at Nagasaki, in the southern island of Kiushiu. If 

 I am ever at Brighton again at the right time, I shall search the burdock for L. 

 crux-minor. — Gr. Lewis, Grand Hotel, Yokohama : October 16th, 1881. 



Curious variety of Argynnis Paphia. — At a field meeting of our Naturalist's 

 Field Club which took place near Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, last July, a capture 

 was made of sufficient interest to be worthy of special record — a female Argynnis 

 Paphia of normal colouring on the upper-side, but having the usual greenish tinge 

 of the under-side of the hind-wings replaced by a distinct tinge of purple. The 



