ON IHK CAPTURK AND PRESERVATION OF COLEOPTERA. 6?) 



possible, at night, as many of the Necrophaga are night-flyers. 

 I strongly recommend anyone unacquainted with the habits of 

 the Necrophori, not to touch them when alive (but to pick them 

 up with the forceps), as they often emit a most fcetid brown 

 liquid, which smells horribly for days, and even stains the skin. 

 When the dead animal has given up all his tenants, replace it in 

 the same spot, and in a day or two it will be full again. A dead 

 cat or dog by the riverside is very productive, as is decaying sea- 

 weed on the coast. Old bones and skins contain species that are 

 found nowhere else ; also sand-pits, salt-marshes, and brackish 

 places. 



Every pond, stream, and ditch, will be found to be teeming 

 with our friends. Having arrived at a weedy pond, take out the 

 net made of cheese-cloth and slide it on to the iron ring, screw 

 the ring to a corresponding screw fitted on to the stick, and all 

 is ready. The net should only be dragged about among the 

 weeds and vegetation, not down into the mud below, or the work 

 becomes hopeless. Be very careful of handling the GyrinidcB, or 

 " Whirligig Beetles," as they also, like the Necrophori, emit a 

 milky fluid, which smells disgustingly for a long time. 



Flood-water, which has been spoken of before, may be worked 

 in the same manner as ponds, &c. ; but it is only necessary here 

 to skim merely the surface, as almost all the beetles will be 

 land- beetles, and therefore float. Do not net the sticks, &c., 

 mentioned above, but simply draw your net through the clear 

 water, which apparently contains nothing, but which in reality 

 contains many a beetle, though they at first escape your notice. 

 The growing herbage, however, may be scraped, as the insects 

 cling to it. A good pair of Dowie and Marshall's water-tight 

 boots will be found of great advantage for this sort of work. 



Under heaps of old sticks and faggots lurk many curious 

 beetles. Shake and rap the bundles well, and examine the 

 ground whereon they stood. Also cut osiers stacked for some 

 time will be found to contain many species ; but this belongs to 

 summer hunting, of which I purpose to give an account in a 

 future number of this magazine. 



I have now, I think, briefly noted the principal localities 

 where Coleoptera may be found in winter, with the exception of 

 light : this is a very great attraction nearly all the year round. 

 Many beetles, as already mentioned, are night-flyers, and can 



