COLLECTING NOTES. 
By H. F. WickHam. 
The occurrence of a Brachynus, determined by Dr. Horn as cinch- 
pennis, Chev., at Albuquerque, N. Mex., adds a very pretty and easily 
recognized species to our fauna. ‘Three specimens were taken in July. 
Ctenistes pulvereus, Lec., occurs at Williams, Arizona, under Pine 
bark in October, and Fushiger fuchsu, Br., was taken in the same locality, 
with a small black ant which makes its nests above ground in dried cow 
droppings. Six specimens were found early in May. ‘The occurrence 
of this species so far West is of interest, and the ant with which it lives 
is a different species from any that I have seen in the Kast. Mr. Ulke 
writes me that he sees no difference in my specimens of # /uchsi and 
his types from Tennessee. 
Helerius tristriatus, Horn, was taken at Coolidge, New Mexico, at 
an elevation of about 7,000 ft. My specimen was found in the evening 
resting on a stone under which was a colony ofants.. This species was 
described from Calaveras, Cal. 
At Needles, Cal., I had my first experience with Gyascutus plan- 
costa. Here they were quite numerous, but so extremely active that it 
was with difficulty that I got four or five of them the first day. They 
are seen clinging to the twigs of a gummy bush, growing in sandy spots 
away from the river, and take flight at the slightest alarm. However, I 
succeeded in getting a nice lot of them by rising next morning before the 
sun, when I found them on the twigs, quite inactive and easily taken by 
hand without the use of a net. In this way I took more of them in one 
hour than I could have taken in ten, had I waited until day advanced. 
Niptus ventriculus, Lec., is sometimes gregarious, as I found a 
colony of about 35 individuals, at Winslow, Arizona, May 5th, all close 
together under an old log. This species probably breeds in old wood, 
as there was nothing under the log but sand, and many others of this 
family are lignivorous. 
One of the characteristic features of the insect fauna of the South- 
west is the occurrence in large numbers of many fine O#orhynchide and 
Cleonint. ‘These occur both on plants, and around the roots in the sand. 
Ophryastes vittatus is found chiefly on the “greasewood,” high above 
ground on young shoots ; while O. sudcirostris and O. latirosiris occur 
around the roots of this and other plants, being it seems not so fond of 
climbing. The color of the two last mentioned species agrees better 
with that of the soil than does the color of O. vit/atus, but 1s not so well 
adapted to the purpose of concealment, when high up among the leaves. 
A very pretty new species of this genus rewarded: my search. 
