NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 211 



that at Westergate as many as forty (probably) were seen on plants 

 in a hedge of a garden there by Mr. W. W. Pertwee. " Curiously 

 enough," Mr. Guermonprez writes, "although there are hedges of 

 the broad-leaved privet all around, the insects seemed confined to 

 two or three plants at the end of one row. Although the beetles 

 are very active, crawling rapidly about the plants and flying from 

 twig to twig, yet they do not stay, but return to their station. They 

 eat the leaves voraciously ; the bitten leaves and grass are most 

 conspicuous, and the odour remarkably pungent. So, when present 

 these brilliant metallic beetles would not easily escape observation." 

 He adds, "As collateral evidence in favour of their being immigrants, 

 those known immigrant butterflies Colias edusa and Pyravieis cardui 

 have been observed in the same places, and at the same times." — 

 Joseph Anderson ; Chichester. 



Lytta vesicatoria, L. — In connection with Mr. Anderson's 

 note on Lytta vesicatoria, L., I may say that this beetle was quite 

 abundant about the middle of June, in the woods between Wool 

 and East Lulworth, flying in companies round the tender tops of 

 coppiced ash about 12 ft. and more from the ground. I took some 

 on the wing, but most by " spotting " individuals that had settled. 

 I would then, gradually, bend the branch over my net, until low 

 enough for a sharp downward tap, with my hand, to cause the 

 insect to drop into it. I also saw the species, a few days later, 

 further west, in Yellowham "Wood, near Dorchester. The only 

 previous occurrence to me here was one near Wool, July 3rd, 1912. 

 This season I could have easily taken many examples. Of those 

 examined three-quarters were ^J's. Both sexes varied much in 

 size ; both my largest and smallest specimens are ? . — P. H. Haines ; 

 Brookside, Winfrith, Dorset. 



Acentropus niveus. — Since my note appeared {antea, p. 190), 

 I have devoted much spare time in searching for the females. Prom 

 the date (June 27th) of the capture of the first male more than 

 a montli passed before I was successful in my search. Since then 

 I have taken a fair number but not in anything like such numbers 

 as the males. It is very conspicuous, owing to its size when at 

 rest at the edge of or often on the water. From the fact that it 

 appears to be a sheer waste of time to look for them in the earlier 

 part of the day I feel certain that they must, unlike the males, pass 

 the greater portion of the daylight hours under the water. Since 

 it is well known that the semi-apterous specimens do so, I see 

 no reason why the fully- winged ones should not do the same. 

 Again, I think, that the earlier females must be semi-apterous for, 

 if it is not so, I must have found them sooner. The time to look 

 for them is from the near approach of sunset onwards. Suddenly 

 they appear on the extreme edge of the water or on the grasses 

 with their leaves floating on the water. They soon begin to get 

 lively, and as the evening advances become fully as active as the 

 males, if not more so. They have a curious habit when disturbed, 

 as the evening advances, of running or swimming (without 

 apparently using their wings at all) along on the surface at a 

 really respectable pace, describing all sorts of semi-circles and 



