NOTES ON THE HABITS OF INSECTS. 439 



lustre on his country, and that the fame it has earned tlie 

 author is, in a great degree, merited by the lucid and forcible 

 manner in which he has exposed some of the absurdities of 

 system-makers; but, alas! such fame is little worth, when it 

 only lends to blind us to our own imperfections. 



Yours, D.D. 



Art. LIII. — Notes on the Habits of Insects. — By Delta. 



Before leaving my garden, I will just point out to such of 

 your readers as are fond of having long rows of species in 

 their drawers, a method by which they may succeed in cap- 

 turing many species not always to be found in cabinets ; but 

 unless they live in the country, have a garden and a hot-bed 

 therein, all I am about to say will be but of little use to them. 

 Nevertheless, for the benefit of those who may be in a similar 

 situation to myself, allow me to say, that if they lay a flat 

 piece of old board on the dung in front of the frame, first 

 sprinkling a little water on the bed, if very dry, they will, on 

 turning it over a few days after, when the sun is full on it, find 

 many insects adhering to the under-side, amongst them some 

 rather rare. 



Besides Scydmcenus tarsatus, S. JiirticoUis, S. collaris, 

 S. pusillus, Euplectus Karstenii, and Reichenbachii, which 

 come to prey on the minute Thysanoura, which mostly swarm 

 in such a situation, I have met with the following insects : 



Sphaeridium Daltoni, Trich. minuta, and 2 Rhyzophagus rufus, 



Agathidium ferrugineum, apparently new sp. Monotonia picipes, 



Clambus Armadillus, Latridius cai-inatus, pallida, 



Orthoperus punctum, elongatus, angustata, 



Trichopteryx atomaria, Cryptophagus, several sp. Abraeus minutus ; 



minima, Mycetaea fumata, 



and innumerable Cercya and Brachelytra, whose names I 

 could not enumerate. 



Mycetcea fumata, Mr. Stephens says, is very rare. I 

 should rather say, that it is one of the commonest of insects, 

 having been found in profusion in old posts, out-buildings, 

 and in cellars, where it often attacks the corks of bottles. 



The Scydmceni are very carnivorous ; they take a small 



