RETROSPECT OF A COLEOPTERIST FOR 1905. 5 



Of articles published in our entomological journals during the year 

 may be mentioned the following : — On distribution of our beetle favma, 

 a note by the writer on species of coleoptera, taken by Mr. Eagle Clarke 

 in the remote Flannan Islands {Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. xli., p. 19) ; 

 further notes on the Isle of Man fauna, by Dr. Bailey, who discusses 

 {loc. cit., p. 90) the species of the genus Aphodius found in that island, 

 and by Mr. Tomlin, who contributes {loc. cit., p. 252) an extensive 

 list of Manx coleoptera ; a first rate account of the coleoptera of the 

 Oxford district by Mr. J. J. Walker (loc. cit., p. 180); and, lastly, an 

 account of some of the Nitidulae of the Derwent (Durham) valley 

 by Mr, Bagnall {loc. cit., p. 162). Dealing with life-history, habits, 

 etc., the following deserve attention : — A note on the foodplant 

 of Apteropeda orhiculata. Marsh, by Mr. Newbery {loc. cit., p. 210) ; 

 one on the foodplant of Dibolia cynoylosd, Koch, by Mr. Donis- 

 thorpe {loc. cit., p. 256) ; and an article by the same observer on 

 " Myrmecophilous Coleoptera in 1905" {Ent. Record, vol. xvii., p. 271). 



On matters of synonymy and specific characters, in addition to 

 those to which reference has already been made, the following notes 

 have appeared — one by Mr. Chitty on Hydroporus bilineatus, Stm. 

 {Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. xli., p. 66), and another by the same gentleman 

 on specific characters of Ocyusa maiira, Er., and 0. picina, Aub., 

 {loc. cit., p. 91); Mr. Newbery {loc. cit., p. 93) deals with the 

 synonymy of Ptinus tectus, Boield., and {loc. cit., p. 115) with that of our 

 specimens of the so-called species Orchestefi sparsiis, Fahr. In the E'nt. 

 Record, pp. 18-20 and 42, was published the concluding article by 

 Mr. Newbery on some doubtful or very rare British Coleoptera, and the 

 joint reply by Mr. Donisthorpe and the writer to this note. It may 

 be interesting to point out, in reference to these notes, that several of 

 the species, which Mr. Newbery stated were doubtfully indigenous, owing 

 to the fact that they had not been taken for many years, have again 

 been captured in their old localities, for example, Rhantus adspersus, F., 

 Graphoderes cinereus, L. {Trans. Norfolk and Norivich Naturalists' 

 Society, vol. viii., pt. i., p. 71), and Cryptohypnus pulchellus, L., taken 

 by Mr. Black in shingle on the banks of the Spey, near Newtonmore 

 (the specimens were sent by the writer to Herr Eeitter, who has con- 

 firmed the identification). These three cases show how very unsafe 

 it would be to remove from our list a beetle, when the old records were 

 reliable, simply because it has not been taken for many years, and how 

 unscientific it is to make such statements as "if correctly determined " 

 when no attempt has been made to verify the correctness of the 

 original identification. Mr. Edwards, in an excellent note {Ent. 

 Record, vol. xvii., p. 103), gives a good table for separating our three 

 species of Thryogenes, and shows that scirrJwsus, Gyll., is by no means 

 a very rare insect in this country. Mr. J. J. Walker has continued 

 {Ent. Mo. Mag., xli,, pp. 216, 228, 265) his interesting and valuable 

 notes on his collecting experiences in Australia, the present article 

 being devoted to the district round Sydney. 



The coleoptera papers in the Transactions of the Entoinological 

 Society of London for 1905, are not numerous, but several of them are 

 of great interest. Mr. Champion and Dr. Chapman contribute a joint 

 paper on " Another Entomological Excursion to Spain," with long 

 lists of the lepidoptera, coleoptera, and hemiptera-heteroptera captured. 

 I have already, in previous retrospects, alluded to the great value of 



