7218 Insects. 



there treated upon is a Teiieriffe species of Acalles, and most accomplished artistes they 

 appear to be. We are informed that " it was a constant source of amusement to 

 make these creatures stridulate, or ' sing ' as it was usually called, which ihey would 

 invariably do for almost any length of time when alarmed." The " song " is produced, 

 it appears, by " a minute and rapid vibration of the apical segment of the abdomen,'' 

 the friction of which against the inner surface of the elytra is the means whereby the 

 litile curculionidous musician produces its melodies. Mr. Wollaston conjectures 

 whether all the Acalles have this remarkable power, but, he adds, as far as regards the 

 species found in the Atlantic Islands, he has litile hesitation in believing that they 

 have. On reading this very amusing and instructive paper I felt a strong desire to 

 ascertain, if possible, whether our British species possessed any amount of musical 

 talent, not that I for a moment expected them to bear a comparison with foreign pro- 

 fessors, for I believe we must be content at once to yield the palm of musical proficiency 

 to the foreign artiste ; still I am so easily charmed with the simple melodies of my 

 native land that I determined, if possible, to ascertain what degree of musical ability 

 our own minute Acalles could lay claim to. During a few week's residence at Deal 

 I had the good fortune to capture considerable numbers of two species of Acalles, 

 A. Roboris and A. misellus. In the first instance I tried the powers of single speci- 

 mens by placing them in pill-boxes, which I shook to alarm the insects, and then 

 applied them to my ear, for some time without success ; at length I distinctly heard 

 the notes of A. Roboris, they were " soft, gentle and low," in fact, simple melodies. I 

 next placed a dozen in a single box, which I shook and applied to my ear, when I was 

 delighted by a complete curculionidous chorus, the effect I must confess being some- 

 what monotonous, in consequence of the performers all playing in the same key. The 

 fact was however established of A. Roboris being musical, and certainly a much more 

 accomplished musician than A. misellus, which requires much coaxing and pressing in 

 order to obtain the slightest proof of ils capabilities. On closely observing the Acalles 

 when turned on their backs and teased into harmony I could, with the aid of a good 

 pocket lens, distinctly observe the rapid vibrations of the apical segment of the abdo- 

 men. Mr. Wollaston refers to other Coleoptera, which possess in a greater or less 

 degree the power of stridulation, particularizing some species of Longicorns. Of the 

 British species of that family the Aromia moschata is certainly no despicable per- 

 former, but as far as my experience enables me to judge I consider the Cychrus ros- 

 tratus to be the most accomplished English musician, although the various species of 

 the genus Necrophorus must be allowed to be highly accomplished performers. I have 

 not had an opportunity of testing the musical capabilities of the third British Acalles, 

 the A. ptinoides. — Frederick Smith, British Museum. 



Capture of Tropideres sepicola — I have great pleasure in recording the capture of 

 another specimen of this rare Curculio, by stripping r>ff the baik of a semi-decayed oak 

 in Buddon Wood ; this being the third British specimen discovered. — F. Plant ; Lei- 

 cester, September 10, 1860. 



Capture of Trichodes hispidus in Leicestershire. — Late in July last, accompanied 

 by Mr. F. Plant, of Leicester, I visited Buddon Wood, near Quorndon, Leicestershire, 

 in search of Coleoptera, and on removing some semi-decayed bark from a young oak 

 tree observed specimens of Trichodes hispidus underneath.' We each succeeded in 

 capturing several. We again visited the spot a month later, and then captured more spe- 

 cimens under similar circumstances on the same tree, and also underneath the decaying 

 bark of several others near. — John S. Harris ; Burton-on-Trent, September 11, 1860. 



