1890.] 191 



Perileptus areolatiis, Homalota currax, H.fallaciosa, H. eximia, H. longula, H. 

 londinensis , H. hygrotopora, H. oblongiuscula, H. pallens, H. subtilissima, Calodera 

 umbrosa, Actohius sigiiaticornis, Thinobius longicornis (very abundant), Actidium 

 concolor (this beetle is extremely plentiful here, but difficult to secure, as it instantly 

 flies away when exposed), Troglophceus subtilis? (my beetle seems clearly referable 

 to this species, and I put the ? simply because of the apparent rarity of the insect) ; 

 also the same Scopaus as at Ludlow. 3JyllcEna elongata was very abundant in the 

 wet shingle, and Homalota cambrica so plentiful as to be a nuisance. 



A note on my method of working the shingle may be useful. First of all I dam 

 up a portion of the river so as to form a pool quite free from currents, then I lie 

 down on the bank on an old mackintosh, and with a trowel dig down the shingle in 

 small sections into the water, the beetles float on the surface and are easily picked 

 out with a camel-hair brush and transferred to the bottle. I find it an excellent 

 plan to line the tube of the bottle with blotting paper, the beetles are then so much 

 more easily transferred from the brush. — W. Gr. Blatch, Knowle, Birmingham : 

 June lUh, 1890. 



Xysticus V. Pterostichus.— As requested by Mr. Douglas, I went out to-day in 

 search of Orthezia occidentalis, which new species is so far only known by some few 

 examples I found here last year in an ant's nest. I did not find my Orthezia, 

 however, but under a board I found a most valiant Xysticus, with a specimen of 

 Pterostichus Liiczotii, Dej.,in its jaws. The poor beetle was quite dead, and I doubt 

 not that the spider killed it, as it was quite soft. I know not whether Pterostichus 

 is included in the usual bill of fare of these spiders, but I was a little astonished 

 that the Xysticus sliould attack and overcome such a well armed enemy, altogether 

 bigger than itself. This Xysticus is one of the varieties of Thorell's X. cunctator. 

 Thorell had only a single $ , but the species is variable, so that his description does 

 not fit many of the specimens one finds. The pale line on the legs, and the presence 

 of some sort of a pale band on the cephalothorax, are apparently the only constant 

 colour-characters. Our Pterostichus-couquerer I call var. or form pallidns, having a 

 broad (about IJ mm. broad) pale dorsal band on the cephalothorax — this band 

 without any distinct markings. The lateral bands of the cephalothorax are grey ; 

 the abdomen is obscurely marbled greyisli and paler ; the legs are pale. A rather 

 opposite form, also found to-day, I call nigrescens. The dorsal pale band of the 

 cephalothorax is marked much as in the type, but it terminates posteriorly in a 

 point, not reaching the posterior end of the ceplialothorax. The lateral and posterior 

 areas of the cephalothorax are black, with a little pale marbling above the legs. The 

 abdomen is obscurely marbled reddish-brown and paler ; the legs are rather dark. — 

 T. D. A. COCKEEELL, West Cliff, Colorado : May I2th, 1890. 



Sphecophaga vesparum. — This very interesting ichneumon I received from Dr. 

 Chapman on the 5th September last, also some comb of the nest of Vespa vulgaris 

 from which it was bred. On May 7th I received another vesparum from him, and a 

 few cells containing pupse ; these emerged a few days after, and in the comb sent 

 last September there is still one in the larva stage. 



In writing to him I remarked, what a wonderful provision of Nature for per- 

 petuating the race, seeing that those that came out in the autumn had no chance of 

 doing so ; Dr. Chapman, in reply, suggested that whilst the wasps were vigorous the 



Q2 



