NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 71 
useless for cabinet specimens; not so the various Neuroptera, 
Hymenoptera, and Diptera, which are found drowned in the 
water which invariably collects in the basons formed by the 
connate leaves of teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris). Several genera of 
Trichoptera and Tenthredinide, especially Dolerus, are mostly 
well represented. It is byno means difficult to make these teasel 
insects into good cabinet specimens, either pinned or carded. 
Another trap, which seldom fails to yield a catch, is the flower- 
heads of various Composite. Amongst the closely laid florets 
of these flowers certain interesting Hymenoptera, especially 
Proctotrupide and Chalcidide, and Coleoptera are frequently to be 
taken in abundance; to say nothing of the numerous Diptera. 
The gills of certain Fungi, especially the common mushroom and 
its allies, are sure to yield material to the student of the 
Hymenoptera oxyura, and these are often interspersed with the 
more minute Ichneumons and Chalcids, together with various 
Coleoptera and a few special Diptera. ‘These insects are all 
engaged in the legitimate business of their lives, and are not 
there merely for shelter. I mention these, mostly overlooked, 
sources of material to the collector for two reasons. First, they 
will yield when insects at large are conspicuous by their absence ; 
secondly, the species which commonly occur in these situations 
are but rarely taken in the usual way. Again, all entomologists 
are not active; health and habits interfere: all entomologists 
cannot always be equipped with nets and other paraphernalia for 
simple collecting; there are many circumstances which often 
interfere with this. But in the above-mentioned and similar 
natural traps we often find a true mine of entomological wealth, 
whose working is always convenient, and ofttimes especially pro- 
ductive. The lepidopterist and coleopterist will think these 
remarks foreign, but for them there is much yet to be learned in 
this direction. The coleopterist, we know, finds plenty of winter 
work among moss and débris ; but surely when we learn that 900 
specimens comprised, in thirty-four genera and forty species, were 
collected from only eleven examples of one plant, the usual tale 
from stubble and other hollow stems must appear small. This 
collection, together with numerous bugs, ants, spiders, &c., which 
are not specially specified, was made at Nice from the central 
cavities of eleven plants of Glauciwm luteum, the end of December, 
1876, by M. Peragallo. For the list of species see Bull. Soc. Ent. 
