74 Transactions. 



THE BARER COLEOPTERA OF THE DUMFRIES 



DISTRICT. By Wm. Lennon. 



Read February 1st, 1878. 



As is found to be the case with other orders of Insects, 

 some Beetles are common everywhere, others common only 

 in perhaps one particular field, a few are confined to a single 

 spot of perhaps a few yards square, while some species are 

 dropped on singly, apparently solitary strangers, who receive 

 anything but what should be a stranger's reception, though 

 none will dispute the joy their appearance causes in the breast 

 of the fortunate collector. In consequence, perhaps, of their 

 warm welcome (they are usually dropped into boiling water) 

 these rarities may not be seen for years. In some instances 

 I have seen only one specimen of particular species during 

 17 or 18 years. It is this uncertainty as to what may turn 

 up that constitutes one of the pi'incipal charms of. this 

 interesting pursuit, and I have always found that when I 

 had captured an insect unknown to me, I get into a "perfect 

 fidget," as the saying, is to get home again and have it 

 examined. 



The order I have made my special study is the Coleoptera 

 or Beetle tribe, and I may say that during the last 12 or 

 13 years I have searched almost every field, moor, moss, glen, 

 and stream in the district, so that I may be allowed to speak 

 with some degree of authority on the Beetle-producing power 

 of the country immediately surrounding Dumfries. 



Within a circuit of five or six miles I have found 1440 

 species. Amongst these there are of course a fair number 

 of rarities, and others known to the " brethren of the Net 

 and Pins " as " good things." Without further remarks I 

 now propose to enumerate them to you. In the case now on 

 the table, the species are placed in the order in which I 

 mention them : — 



The first, then, is Dyschirus nitidits, a very local species, 

 which I have found nowhere else except on the salt marsh 

 at Kelton, so that it is probably confined to places over- 

 flowed by the tide. The next is Lebia crux minor, one of 



