THE COLKOPTERA OF AN OLD ASH TREE. 21 



mens of Plati/eis minittioi were taken. This beetle was again found in 

 August, 1<S95, in fair numbers, and in the following year (LSOG) more 

 than 70 specimens were taken by Mr. R. W. Lloyd and myself 

 by simply searching the tree-trunk and the adjacent nettles on warm 

 damp evenings just before sunset, without disturbing a particle of the 

 wood or bark. The end of the great tree was, however, very near. 

 Soon after one of the heavy gales which prevailed at the end of 

 September, 1896, I was astonished and grieved to find the giant lying 

 prostrate, a picturesque ruin, with the cause of its downfall only too 

 evident. The wonder was that it had remained standing at all, for 

 with the exception of a mere shell of bark and sound wood not more 

 than three or four inches thick, the whole interior of the trunk to 

 a height of seven or eight feet Avas a mass of crumbling touchwood, 

 into Avhich a walking stick could readily be thrust up to the handle. 

 It had been reduced to this condition by the larvte of the small stag- 

 beetle, IhrcKs j'ciralldnjiipi'tJiis, whose burrows traversed the mass of 

 rotten wood in every direction, with those of its ally Slnodcndnm 

 c!/li)ii1ririn)i in much lesser numbers ; the first-named beetle, which 

 I had always found plentifully in the perfect state, must be held 

 responsible for the destruction of this splendid tree. 



In the following winter the stump was cut oft' nearly level with the 

 ground, and the sound portions of the trunk cut up into cord-wood 

 and subsequently removed. Nothing now remains except the thin 

 shell of the stump and the roots, and two gigantic and perfectly sound 

 limbs, fair-sized trees in themselves, which have not yet been carried 

 away. Access to the interior of the stump being noAV easy, I have 

 carefully " nursed " the same by putting back every particle of rotten 

 Avood, fungus, &c., after examination, and have continued to find 

 interesting beetles up to the present time. On my last visit a few 

 days ago, in company wnth Mr. A. J. Chitty, we each took several 

 examples of the rare little QucdiHn niirrojis, Grav. [c/iri/snnis, Fries), 

 and one or tAvo other uncommon species. 



The folloAving list comprises the more interesting beetles which 

 haA^e been found in and about the tree from June, 1889, to the present 

 date, very common species being omitted : — Aiiiara ovata, Aba.v strhda, 

 Calatlaoi j)irei(s, and Taclii/j)i(s jiarij)('!<, under chips and pieces of cord- 

 Avood ; Alcochara ciiniridonini, one in AA'et, rotten AVOod, March 25th, 

 1H97 ; BoUtocliara liirida and bdla, Harhyoccrii^ rapillarictDiiix, and 

 h'jillicda jilana, all more or less common. Qiicdins iiiimiiis, not uncom- 

 mon in damp Avood-mould, chiefly in early spring and late autumn, 

 and not easy to detect, as it feigns death Avith great persistency ; 

 (}. iiii'sniiit'Iiinis and A^ar. fafictl, Thoms, not rare. Jycistdtntplms 

 vi'liidnsii>i, I'/iilioilInis (tddr)idiis, Sluu'p, and jiyo.vhinia, in fungus; 

 /'. /iiiiridn'iis .-iiid inidmilih's, in i-otten wood. ]>aj>Lolinu>^ allrnimu, 

 lloiiialhuii e.rii/iiHiii, itif/rirrps, und idptcniiii, all rather scarce. Jti/t/iiniis 

 ciirtisi, sometimes common; Linden limncralis, Cholera cistdoidcs, 

 ni'jriccois, fiisra, ui;iril,a, and <-liri/s(iii)di>idcs, all more or less frequent in 

 I'otten Avood and fungus ; ( '. foloniiidca, one example of this very rare 

 little^ s])ecies in wet, rotten Avood-mould, out of a hole in a root, 

 April 21tli, 1897. i'tcnidiinii tiin/idmii, sometimes fairly connnou 

 auumg the AA'ood-mould in late summer. Jlistcr siicciida, in rotten 

 fungus ; Ahrariis i/lohnsn^!, common ; A. i/rmudifiii, Er. many specimens 

 in 1889, and a few under pieces of cord- wood in early spring, 189G ; 



