160 THE entomologist's RECORD. 



naturally felt a desire to learn more about them first-hand, and during 

 the Easter holidays I managed to spend a few hours with our busy 

 friend Formica rufa. In the extensive Tynedale pine-woods F. rufa is 

 seen in great abundance, their hills, sometimes, approaching four feet 

 in height. I had no sieve, and worked by taking a handful from 

 where the ants were thickest, placing it on a waterproof sheet and 

 then, after disposing of the ants in the best manner possible, I lay 

 down and examined the refuse thus obtained. As it was a warm day 

 there was scarcely a spot free from ants, some dragging beetles (such 

 as Pterostichus, Fhilonthus, etc.), and others laden with flies, cater- 

 pillars, etc. These ants seemed to take a lively interest in running 

 round my collar, down my neck, and up my sleeves, and there were 

 many met a premature death by drowning when I washed myself that 

 night. Altogether, the afternoon's collecting was little better than a 

 night-mare, but it was a compensation to take several additions to our 

 county's fauna, such additions being herein denoted by an asterisk. 

 The following occurred at Corbridge-on-Tyne, Northumberland : — 

 '^' Oxypoda formiceticola , Mark., * (,>. haemorrhoa, Sahl., both fairly 

 common ; * Thiasophila angulata, Er., '■' Notothecta flavipes, Gr., and 

 *N. anceps, Er., were rather scarce, whilst the tiny ■• Pt ilium 

 myrmecophilinn, All., and '■'Honialota parallela, Man., were perhaps the 

 commonest beetles found, though they both seem local, the Homalota 

 being apparently a northern species. A nice series of both * Quedius 

 brevis, Er., and '' Leptacinus formicetoruvi , Mark., were taken, and also 

 a single example of Othius mynnecophiliis, Kies. I had recently taken 

 Oxypoda haernorrhoa and the Othius in the Derwent Valley unassociated 

 with ants. Just upon train time, the capture of a few '•' Monotonia 

 conicicollis, Aub., and a single * Myrnietes piceus, Pk., completed the 

 ants' -nest work for the day. Interesting captures were made in many 

 other orders, flies, worms, spiders, wood-lice, centipedes, etc. ; one of 

 the most interesting to us being that of the very rare ant ''■' Formicoxenus 

 nitidulus, Nyl., which occurred in all the hills examined. To-day, 

 Formica rufa was met with in Chopwell woods, in the county of 

 Durham, but as it was almost dusk before a nest was found, little was 

 done. Of the above mentioned species, Oxypoda formiceticola, 0. 

 haernorrhoa, Thiasophila angulata, Notothecta anceps, Homalota parallela, 

 Leptacinus formicetorum, Ptilium myrmecophilum and Monotoma conici- 

 collis occurred; a solitary Clythra quadripunctata, L., was found 

 crawling out of a nest, and from refuse taken home for examination 

 I was glad to find a single ''Monotoma formicetorum, Th. At both 

 Corbridge and Chopwell, several examples of a small Tachyporus {T. 

 brunneus, F.) were found running in and out amongst the ants. From 

 these notes, it is evident that the myrmecophilous fauna of the two 

 districts mentioned will prove to be very similar to each other. — 

 Richard B. Bagnall, Winlaton-on-Tyne. May 12i/i, 1906. 



CoLEOPTERA AT Whitstable. - Saturday, March 17th, was such a. 

 beautiful morning that, being able to get away from town, I sentij 

 round to my friend, Mr. Donisthorpe, to suggest a visit to Whitstable,er 

 to try what insects the rubbish left by the high tide of the previousi 

 Wednesday would produce. I was joined by him, and we left by thel 

 10.45 train. It was apparent, on reaching Faversham, that the areal 

 of collecting would be small. We noticed, however, one meadowj 

 (eligible building-ground) which was still flooded, and which had si 



