230, ENTOMOLOGICAL RAMBLES IN THE MIDLANDS. 
abundance—R. pubescens being one of them—and on the leaves of young 
oaks the curious and active Agrilus viridis, which must be bottled quickly, 
or it will be gone. By beating a crab tree we secure a specimen of the 
remarkable pupa of Ledra aurita, a fine name by which entomologists 
recognise a rather rare member of the “bug” tribe; from a small grove 
of young aspens we obtain Saperda populnea, Gonioctena rufipes, and 
G. viminalis ; the sallows close by yield a new Longhorn beetle, which it 
is a great pleasure to see, viz., Liopus nebulosus, as well as some larvee of 
Notodonta ziczac. In beating the margin of the wood a number of moths 
are disturbed, and, amongst others, are recognised and secured 
Angerona prunaria, Melanthia albicillata, Melanippe hastata, and the 
very pretty Ennychia octomaculalis. After disposing of these, we 
examine the proceeds of our beating exertions, and find lots of nice 
things, including the stick-like larvee of Phigalia pilosaria and Amphydasis 
prodromaria ; two odd-looking spiders, Epéira bicornis and E. conica, and 
a perfect swarm of wood-ants, which manifest an almost boy-like predi- 
lection for climbing up every available tree. On the flowers of a 
rhododendron, by the side of a small stream, are observed a number of 
gaily-decorated little moths, busily engaged sipping nectar, and as they 
prove to be Anarta myrtilli—a species that is ‘‘ wanted ”—we carefully 
box a few specimens. Turning over two or three stones lying near us 
brings to light a single example of the elegant beetle Cychrus rostratus, 
together with specimens of the glow-worm, Lampyris noctiluca, the female 
still bearing the semblance of its larva-hood, and the male looking like a 
beetle ‘‘ Friend” in his straight-cut suit of sober brown-black. This 
species may be taken abundantly in the forest at night—the females - 
amongst the herbage, and the males flying—both of them exhibiting their 
wonderful light, that of the female, however, being by far the most 
intense. I have found larve of this insect feeding on living snails, Helix 
aspersa and H. nemoralis. 
Our steps are now resolutely set in the direction of the keeper’s 
cottage, where we propose to take tea previous to quitting this fascinating 
region. But our resolution is soon put to the test and found wanting ; 
for, although our success has been beyond our hopes, we are not able to 
pass by a likely-looking beetle-trap without subjecting it to examination. 
Hence that group of suspended moles, dead and dry, is tapped over the 
inverted umbrella, and lo! quite a shower of the beautifully-tinted 
Dermestes murinus drop out. Those rotting fragments of an old saddle 
must also be looked over with care. What! Insects there? Yes! here 
is Trox sabulosus, sixteen fine specimens, in appearance like bits of caked 
mud. That these apparently inanimate objects are endowed with vitality 
certainly seems open to question, until, holding one upside-down between 
your fingers, and applying gentle pressure laterally, you see the abdomen 
slightly move, and hear a sound almost like the wailing of a sickly infant. 
But we really must not linger over this wailing mimic; our time has 
nearly run out, and tea and train must now occupy the leading place in 
our thoughts, to the exclusion of beetles and butterflies. It is hard, how- 
ever, to drag ourselves away from the many attractions by which we are 
surrounded here, and only when a sort of compromise is mentally entered 
into, to the effect that we will take the first opportunity of returning, do 
we, reluctantly yielding to the force of circumstances, consent to rejoin 
the current of social life, which, during one day, we seem to have quitted 
for Fairy Land. 
