THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 41 



[The little beetle is l\relii2:ethes pici])es ; the Hymenopte- 

 Ton, Microgaster alveaiius : 1 cannot suppose any connexion 

 between these two insects, but rather incline to believe that 

 the Microgaster was in search of some Lepidopterous larva 

 in which to deposit its eggs. — E. /V.] 



Geophilus eleclricus a Food of Coleoptera. — Tiie above- 

 named insect is synonvnioiis with the Scoloiiendta electrica, 

 &c., and has been seen by only a lew ol the naturalists of 

 this locality. It is not, I believe, of general occurrence 

 through England. Within the boundary-walls of Walton 

 Gaol there are several acres of garden-ground, and on the 

 gravel- walks, during the autumn of 1861, I first observed 

 this insect. It was a dark, warm evening when my attention 

 was drawn to a nuuiber of beautiful luminous objects, ap]Da- 

 rently running to and fro on the walks. On throwing the 

 light of a lamp upon one of the moving objects, I was asto- 

 nished to see nothing but a beetle. Examining others, the 

 same thing presented itself, and I supposed that I had dis- 

 covered a new luminous Coleoptera. The light from the 

 lamp, however, was so much stronger than that emanating 

 from the beetle, that I could not make out from what portion 

 the phosphorescence proceeded. The idea of a new phos- 

 phorescent beetle was dispelled a few evenings afterwards, 

 for, taking a big dug along with me, I observed that his feet 

 were soon illuminated, and as he trotted along it was really 

 a very interesting sight. I was now more puz'feled than 

 before, for 1 found that many of my own footsteps had left a 

 light behind me. On examining one of the beetles I per- 

 ceived that it held between its mandibles what appeared to 

 be a small worui, torn and wounded, and from the wounds 

 the phosphorescent light emanated I Then, searching for 

 some of the worm-like objects on the surface of the walk, I 

 saw that they were in abundance, and on rubbing some be- 

 tween my hands they w^ere immediately covered with a pretty 

 blue blaze of light. I had now discovered the cause of the 

 light, or at least what was necessary to produce it. The 

 beetles were feeding upon the Geophila, and before the light 

 could be produced it was necessary to bruise or lacerate the 

 latter. The light continued in each case for about the space 

 of ten minutes, and then slowly died out. Even plunging 



