56 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
From the last week in April to the first week in July, and 
again from the last week in August to the last week in September, 
are, perhaps, the best times of year for beating and sweeping. 
Even in the best localities the month of August, especially the 
beginning of it, is most unproductive ; and I have found in the 
New Forest that at this time hardly enough was obtained to be 
worth the working; the reason of this evidently is that the first 
broods have disappeared, and the second broods begin to come 
again at the end of August. The best time of all may be said 
roughly to be from May 20th to June 20th, and a day at this time 
will often prove of more value than a week at any other. 
As regards the time of day it is best to begin early; it 
is rather inconvenient to get one’s net thoroughly soaked with 
dew to begin with, but the good species that may be obtained 
make it worth while to carry another net, although this is 
not necessary, for as soon as the dew disappears the net dries by 
the very act of sweeping. As it gets on towards mid-day, and 
the sun becomes hot, the beetles disappear; and my experience 
has been that on a hot day in the middle of summer it is useless 
to sweep between half-past eleven and three or four o'clock, 
although of course some things may be found in shady places. 
About four matters begin to improve, and go on getting better and 
better until an hour before sunset; from this time, as long as it 
is possible to see, a rich harvest may be reaped in a favourable 
locality; Carabide, Staphylinide of all sorts, Scydmenide, 
Trichopterygide, and species of all kinds come out in the 
evening in profusion. Some beetles, such as Bryaxis helferi, are 
hardly ever taken except just at dusk; but the species that are 
most sought after at this time are the Anisotome, which seem 
almost entirely crepuscular, and may sometimes be found in fair 
abundance at sundown in a spot which has not produced a single 
specimen during the whole preceding day. Colons should also be 
looked for at this time. I have beaten Colon brunneuwm from an 
aspen tree on a summer afternoon, but this was probably 
accidental. Dr. Power, who has perhaps taken more of this very 
rare genus than any other collector, says that they are to be 
taken at sundown by sweeping wild strawberry plants and other 
short herbage in the clearings of woods. I think it very probable, 
from two or three captures of species on the open sides of the 
Malvern Hills that have come under my notice, that several 
