THE PREDACEOUS WATER BEETLES. 59 
———$—$—$—$——————————————————————————————”— oar 
coloured of the two, being found in the clear water of the Soar, amongst 
the inanthe, and the former in the Anstey ponds. 
One of my best and most successful days was spent in the neigh- 
bourhood of Syston. It was there, in the tributaries of the Soar, that 
I first found Colymbetes (Ilybius) ater, guttiger, and fenestratus, although I 
afterwards found them plentiful all along the Soar, and also at Blaby, 
along with Hygrotus (Hydroporus) confluens and Haliplus fulvus and - 
flavicollis. At the latter place I accidentally broke my net, and as I 
could not subsequently revisit the place, am unable to say what other 
species might have been caught. There is a deep hollow in the Anstey 
fields at one end of which is a wide pond overgrown with duckweed, 
except in the middle, where it is kept clear by the drainage. From this 
I always obtained good specimens, including, besides those already 
mentioned, Hydrobius fuscipes, fulvus, and (Helochares) lividus.* 
Altogether I obtained some fifty species, but did not nearly exhaust 
the field, in which, no doubt, there is still good work remaining to be 
dene. My experience taught me the important fact that whilst some 
species appear to be generally distributed others are only to be found in 
certain localities. Everywhere, for example, in clear water, I found 
Helophorus aquaticus and granularis, but Hygrotus (Hydroporus) reticulatus 
was confined to a pond in Glebe Lane, Belgrave, and H. lineatus to a 
pond at Blaby. 
Hunting for the beetles, under the invigorating influences of fresh 
air and sunshine, was all pleasure ; the real work began when I got them 
home. In the first place Water Beetles are most difficult to mount, and 
I should be glad of any hint that would enable me to improve upon my 
plan. I use gummed card, relaxing the insects by putting them either 
in a damp place or in water.| The cyanide would relax (and spoil) them 
if leftin alongtime. There is a strong contractility in the legs of the 
 Hydradephaga, and this, combined with the position in which they are 
articulated to the body, renders them more difficult to mount than other 
insects. In naming my captures I found the species of Haliplus most 
difficult to make out, but, with the aid of the beautiful microscope 
belonging to the Leicester Museum, all my difficulties were gradually 
overcome. The species of this genus are all small, ovate and convex, 
mostly light testaceous in colour, and have their hinder coxe produced 
behind into a large plate, the effect of which is to make the legs appear 
to be very wide apart. Many species of this and allied genera approach 
each other very nearly and require close examination and study before 
they can be separated. The descriptions in Stephens’ Manual are, 
moreover, so short and vague that no student would be able to get on 
with that alone. A good and cheap Manual of Coleoptera remains to be 
written. 
* These three beetles do not belong to the family Hyd” b 
Palpicornia or Hydrophilide.—EDs., LN, ies ant as 
+ Both these plans are bad. If kept in the chopped-laurel jar the beetles 
yond Be ete relaxed and ready to set at any time. Cyanide must be avoided. 
{ Cox’s “ Handbook of Coleoptera,” 2 vols., 17s. 6d., would be a great improve- 
ment on “Stephens.” It is the best : ublished, and is Jol ists. 
See “ Mid, Nat.,” Vol. I, p. 100.—EDs. M.N. pide gn oe 
