MR. hold's notes, eto. 339 



of the country^ but quite retarded the development of both 

 plants and insects, April, May and June, were alike so un- 

 seasonably cold, that, even in the latter month, it was no 

 unusual sight to see the people in our streets muffled up in 

 coats and wrappers, as they are in mid -winter. 



This cold, continued so far into the summer months, would 

 unquestionably retard the development of insects, and render 

 my notes less satisfactory than they would have been had the 

 weather been of a more genial nature. 



Of Coleopterous insects, or beetles, all those species which pass 

 the winter months as larvae, pupae, or in the imago state, in the 

 earth, were either very few in numbers, or totally wanting. The 

 Geodephaga, even of the commonest species, were seldom to be met 

 with, and never do I recollect meeting with so few Bemhidions ; 

 but this was what might naturally be expected, for, dwelling 

 near the water in all their stages, their retreats would be at the 

 mercy of every flood. Even the Hydradephaga, or water 

 beetles, were not abundant ; but this was perhaps the effect of 

 the cold weather in spring, which always (so far as my ex- 

 perience goes) causes a scarcity of that family during the rest 

 of the year. Of the other sections of Coleopiera — the Staphy^ 

 linida, the LamelUcoriiis, the Curculionida — indeed all that live 

 on or near the ground, and resort to it in some of their stages, 

 were far from common ; whilst those that find their pabulum 

 in decaying wood, such as some of the Etateridia, the Longi~ 

 comes, and others, were mostly in average numbers, and one or 

 two species in actual abundance. Thus Synodendron cylindri- 

 cum was to be seen on almost every suitable stump, and 

 Pyrochroa ruhens on every leaf ; both insects, in the generality 

 of seasons, being only casually to be seen in the vicinity of 

 Newcastle. 



The collector of Hymenoptera has seldom had a worse season 

 to contend with. This was not only the case in our immediate 

 district, but also in many other parts of the kingdom ; some of 

 my correspondents, who pay great attention to this order, in- 

 forming me, that they can scarcely recollect so unproductive a 

 year. One or two exceptions to this are perhaps worthy of 



