﻿1869.] 135 



of great uncertainty ; I was extremely fortunate in being able to do so on both my 

 excursions. The first insect that I saw on the island was Bombus hortorum ; not a 

 variety, as I might or fancied I might expect every species of the Apidce, but the 

 veritable insect, in stature and array, that disports in the meadows of Hampstead 

 and Highgate. Everything on the island had, to my eye, a stunted appearance ; 

 trees there are none, but the few bushes that I found had certainly a dwarfed 

 appearance ; the black-berries, also, being of the smallest dimensions. It is not 

 my intention to give any list of the Hymenoptera in the present communication, 

 but merely to mention a few species of Ooleoptera not contained in Mr. Wollaston's 

 paper ; one insect, therein mentioned as being uncommon in Devonshire, but abun- 

 in Lundy, viz., Cetonia aurata, I, also, found as late as the month of August ; but I 

 never found it in Devonshire. 



The first coleopterous insect that I found was Ocypus olens ; on turning up 

 stones in search of ants, this insect was to be found in abundance, yet it does not 

 appear in Mr. Wollaston's list ; June being, I suppose, the interregnum between 

 the spring and autumnal broods. 



The following species also do not appear in that list : Nebria brevicollis, found 

 under stones, not uncommonly. Calathus cisteloides, under dried horse droppings. 

 Anchomenus pallipes, under rubbish in an almost dry watercourse. Anchomenus 

 rncestus in company with the former. Pterostichus nigrita and Anisodactylus bino- 

 tatus, under stones. Agabus bvpustulaUis, under stones in an almost dried up pond. 

 I have no doubt that I might have doubled or trebled this list, had I used the 

 beating or sweeping net ; but I was not intent on this description of game, and 

 such as I have enumerated were taken whilst searching for ants. — F. Smith, 27, 

 Eichmond Crescent, Islington, August, 1869. 



On Otiorhynchus fuscipes, Walton. — It is always gratifying to have our own 

 views with regard to species confirmed by an able authority. I certainly experience 

 this on reading Dr. Sharp's observations on Otiorhynchus fuscipes, at p. 1Q7. I 

 never had the pleasure of capturing this insect, but have repeatedly taken 0. 

 tenebricosus. Dr. Sharp remarks, that, to render Mr. Walton's description of the 

 distinctive specific characters of 0. fuscipes perfect, it is only necessary to add, 

 that the longitudinal striee of the last abdominal segment are considerably finer 

 and more closely packed than is the case in 0. tenebricosus ; this applies, of course, 

 to the males only, and is precisely the opinion that I indicated in my remarks at 

 p. 232, vol. ii, E. M. M. This difference of striation is the characteristic of all the 

 males that I possess, and which were given to me by Mr. Walton, and captured by 

 him at Portland. 



Mr. Bye, in his observations on Dr. Sharp's note, states that he has never been 

 able to find any males except those exhibiting the sexual character of 0. tenebricosus ; 

 that is, those that have the apical segment coarsely striated, although he has 

 examined many specimens that have passed through Mr. Walton's hands, including 

 those in the British Museum ; unfortunately, amongst these, there are no males ; 

 Mr. Waterhouse's specimens I have not seen, so that I fear Mr. Bye has not 

 hitherto seen examples thoroughly examined by Mr. Walton. It certainly appears 

 that Mr. Walton did not detect the difference in the striation in the two species, 

 since he describes the ultimate segment in both the males as " delicately striated." 



