JOURNAL OF VARIATION. 



Vol. XVIII. No. 1. January 15th, 1906. 



Retrospect of a Coleopterist for 1905. 



By Pkof. T. HUDSON BEAEE, B.Sc, F.R.S.E., F.E.S. 



The past year has seen an increase to our list, much in excess of 

 the additions I have been able to chronicle during the past three years, 

 1902-1904, and, as was the case last year, several of these additions 

 have been most unexpected, and it is surprising in the extreme that 

 these species have remained so long undetected; it would certainly 

 repay any student of British coleoptera to go through our list, and 

 compare it carefully with the French and German lists, as possibly 

 this would lead to careful search in their proper habitats for species 

 which, from their continental distribution, are also likely to occur here, 

 although so far they have not been discovered. 



Amara anthobia, Villa. — Eecorded by Mr. W. E. Sharp iEnt. Mo. 

 Mar/., vol. xli., p. 87). This insect was taken in large numbers by 

 the Kev. G. A. Crawshay at Leighton Buzzard, and the publication of 

 the above note at once elicited the information that several other 

 coleopterists had taken it in past years in various localities, but had 

 confused it with its near ally liicida, Duft. Quedius variabilis, Heer. — 

 Recorded by Mr. E. A. Newbery (Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. xli., p. 197). It 

 was taken by Mr. Kidson Taylor at Sherwood Forest, in October 1904. 

 It belongs to the second section of the genus {Quedius proper), and its 

 near ally is niesomelinus, Marsh. Oxypoda sericea, Heer. — Taken by 

 Mr. B. St. J. Donisthorpe at Dulwioh Wood, on June 17th, 1904 {Ent. 

 Record, vol. xvii., p. 67). In his note Mr. Donisthorpe gives characters 

 for separating this species from its ally 0. 7iigrina, Wat. Dinarda 

 HAGENsi, Wasmann. — Mr. H. St. J. Donisthorpe introduced this, 

 perhaps the most interesting of this year's additions, to our fauna {Ent. 

 Record, vol. xvii., p. 181). He took it on May 13th, with the rare ant, 

 F. exsecta, at Bournemouth, and again later in the year. Triplax 

 BicoLOR, Gyll. — Taken in large numbers by Mr. R. S. Bagnall {Ent. 

 Mo. Mag., vol. xli., p. 86 and p. 135), at Gibside, with the rare T, 

 aenea, Schal. I gave an account of the European species of this genus, 

 and a table of differences for the British species {loc. cit., p. 176), and 

 had the pleasure, in company with its discoverer, of taking the insect 

 last June. Dacne fowleri, Joy. — Specimens of this insect, new to 

 science, were taken last June by Dr. Joy, at Bradfield, in a hole in a, 

 large oak log {Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. xli., p. 274) ; it appears to be inter- 

 mediate in its character to our other two species, humeralis, F., and 

 riijifrons, F. LjEmophlceus monilis, F. — Dr. Joy also introduced this. 



