K*OTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 23 



season approaches it hybernates beneath the bark of trees, not 

 showing preference for rotten or sound ones. I have found 

 specimens as early as August 5th, and through the winter up to 

 April and May." This would seem to prove that the insect is 

 less rare than is generally supposed ; it may, possibly, be often 

 passed over as the common Phceclon cochlears, to which it bears 

 a considerable resemblance. — Theodoee Wood ; 5, Selwyn Ter- 

 race, Jasper Road, Upper Norwood, December 8, 1881. 



The Genus Phjedon. — There is one error in Mr. Fowler's, 

 otherwise valuable, paper on the above subject, which I venture 

 to correct. In the paragraph headed Phceclon cochlearia (p. 294), 



Mr. Fowler says, " This is the insect referred to by Mr. 



Hart." This, however, is not the case. I am well acquainted 

 with P. cochlearicE, and find it abundantl}^ on watercress, but have 

 never found P. hetulce in its company, although I have examined 

 hundreds of specimens in that expectation. I meet with P. betulcs 

 most commonly in flood-refuse, but have on a few occasions found 

 it on water-starwort, at which times the beetles have been paired, 

 and apparently quite at home. The object of my query (Entoni. 

 xiv. 187) was to ascertain if others had observed the habits of the 

 insect more closely than I had been able to do ; certainly not to 

 raise the question of synonymy. During the last two seasons I 

 have paid considerable attention to our common phytophagous 

 beetles, with a view to better understand the economy of those 

 that injure our crops, and my observations lead me to believe that 

 of the common species of Phadon, P. cochlearice is the only one 

 that habitually feeds on Cruciferce. Of course it is well known 

 that insects sometimes forsake their regular food-plant, and attack 

 another of quite a different order, as, for instance, Gastrophysa 

 Ijolygoni, leaving the knot-grass and attacking barley. It would 

 also seem that a certain species does not always feed on the same 

 plants, or even the same order of plants, in two different countries. 

 I believe it is Kirby and Spence who mention that the elm trees 

 near Paris were severely injured by Galeruca calmariensis, which 

 beetle in this country feeds on the purple loose-strife. However, 

 it requires further and extended observations yet to decide what 

 is the food-plant of many of our beetles ; and I hope in the spring 

 to again look into the subject, when I shall endeavour to make 

 use of the information contained in Mr. Fitch's note in reply to 



