Insects. 3623 



river, at Tintern, where T remained for a few days to investigate the 

 spot, I had the good fortune to meet with abundance of Synaptus fili- 

 formis (the Ctenonychus hirsutus of Stephens), one of the rarest of 

 our British Elateridse. It was extremely local, occurring only in a 

 single small meadow, of a hundred yards in length, about half a mile 

 to the south of the Abbey. I could only obtain it by brushing ; and 

 I believe it was off the Polygonum Hydropiper, that most of my spe- 

 cimens came. The edges of the river at Tintern produce most of the 

 same species as they do below Chepstow, being extremely prolific 

 however in minute Staphylinida?, in addition to the salt insects there 

 abundant. In the meadows, in company with Synaptus filiformis, 

 Aplotarsus Quercus was extremely common ; also Notaris bimacula- 

 tus, Tanymecus palliatus, and a small Cassida, which I have not yet 

 identified with any of the British species. 



With these notes I will conclude for the present ; merely adding that 

 on my passage through Gloucestershire, I had the pleasure of taking 

 the minute Aspidiphorus orbiculatus at Withington, on the Cotswold 

 Hills, an insect which I had not before captured in England; as also 

 Gymnaetron intaminata, Ceutorhynchus Urticas and horridus, Phyto- 

 bius 4-tuberculatus, some scarce Anisotomidae, and a single example 

 of an extremely rare Ophonus, apparently undescribed, a pair of which 

 were captured some time ago by the Rev. J. F. Dawson, in the Isle 

 of Wight. And, shortly afterwards, at Avebury, on the Wiltshire 

 downs, Limobius fulvipes and Chaetocnema Sahlbergii, also species 

 which I had not previously alighted upon, except in cabinets. 



Since my return from Wiltshire, I have visited the coast of Kent, 

 and Whittlesea Mere, with considerable success ; but all observations 

 ' on my captures in these localities I will defer until another opportu- 

 nity. Suffice it now, if the few remarks I have offered on the Coleo- 

 ptera, mainly, of the West, be of sufficient use to any of your corre- 

 spondents to deter them from unfavourable spots, or guide their steps 

 to better ones, should chance ever lead them into the districts here 

 briefly touched up. 



T. V. Wollaston. 



25, Thurloe Square, Broinpton, 

 August 20, 1852. 



