68 THE DISPERSAL OF SHELLS. 



an insect as a Dytiscus from taking flight, adding that in 

 any case the beetle could carry smaller shells/ Mr. 

 Oldham induced his Woodford specimen of D. 

 margmalis^ which was encumbered with a good-sized 

 shell of 5. corneian, to fly about in a room, and it did not 

 seem to be greatly impeded ; and what is still more im- 

 portant for us, individuals of this species of beetle carry- 

 ing 5. corneum have actually been caught on the wing on 

 two occasions, the insect, in one case, having two shells 

 clinging to it ! Both captures were made by Mr. 

 Standen while pursuing nocturnal Lepidoptera ; the 

 first specimen, netted in 1883 with a full-grown shell 

 clinging to one of its legs, was slowly flying along in 

 Mill Lane, Goosnargh, about five hundred yards from 

 the nearest pond, but it might possibly have come 

 from a small ditch about one hundred yards distant ;" 

 the second capture was made at Moor Side, Swinton, 

 near Manchester, in 1888, when Mr. Standen had the 

 good fortune to take, on the wing, a specimen which 

 was carrying two shells, one being of good size 

 and the other small ; the nearest pond, he thinks, was 

 about one hundred and fifty yards distant. These 

 cases are obviously of extreme interest and value, for 

 they not only corroborate Mr. Oldham's observation 

 and render it quite clear that D. marginalis is strong 



1 "Nature," xxv. (1882), 529-30. 



^ This occurrence was briefly referred to by Mr. Standen in 

 "Nat. Hist. Notes," iii. (1883), 39, and in "Science Gossip,'' xxi. 

 (1885), 281, and was quoted by me in the " Naturalists' World," iii. 

 (1886), 61. 



