Coleoptera 157 



Wicken, where it often flies to light at night, and the very 

 rare Rhantus adspersus has only occurred near Cambridge, 

 where it was found in numbers in 1829; of late years it seems 

 to have disappeared. The large Dytiscus clrcumcinctus and 

 D. dimidiatus are not uncommon, at any rate in Wicken Fen, 

 in ditches and peat holes ; of the former the form of the female 

 with smooth elytra is not very rare ; the latter was supposed 

 to have become exceedingly rare of late years ; it must, how- 

 ever, have revived again, as it was by no means uncommon 

 in 1900. Hydaticus transversalis occurs sparingly in Wicken 

 Fen, and the other species, H. seminiger, is also recorded from 

 the same locality. Graphoderes cinereus is another species 

 which used to be taken in the Cambridgeshire Fens; it has 

 not, however, been found for many years. Gyrinus suffriani, 

 one of the rarer species of the "Whirligig" Beetles, is recorded 

 from Wicken Fen. 



In the Hydrophilidae the very large Hydropkilus piceus 

 is common at Wicken Fen in pools and ditches, being very 

 fond of getting under the leaves of the water-lily; and the 

 smaller Hydrocharis caraboides has been recorded from 

 Whittlesea Mere, Bottisham, etc. The very local Spercheus 

 emarginatus was taken by Professor Babington in Burwell Fen. 

 HydrocJms carinatus, which is only found in Huntingdonshire 

 and Cambridgeshire, has been taken at Wicken, and other 

 localities near Cambridge. 



To mention a few of the rare species in the very large 

 family Staphylinidai, Aleochara fumata was taken by 

 Mr Champion at Soham, and Microglossa marginalis was 

 taken by Mr Crotch near Cambridge, the only British records 

 for these two species. The very rare Oxypoda verecunda is 

 recorded from Whittlesea Mere, and Oxypoda pectita from 

 Cambridge. The rare Ilyobates nigricollis is recorded from 

 Wicken Fen, and the writer has taken it under cut grass 

 refuse at Chippenham Fen. The beautiful Myrmedonia 

 collaris occurs in Wicken Fen; Messrs Chitty, Bouskell and 

 Donisthorpe took it in some numbers in company with the 

 ant Myrmica Icevinodis in cut sedge refuse in 1900. The 



