Insects. 1671 



Preserving of the Honey Bee.— Mr. Hughes' " desire (Zool. 1459) to see a better, 

 a more humane system prevail among our poorer apiarians," by circulating among 

 them "a plain and simple letter" on the subject, may be obtained far more easily 

 through Mr. Cotton's " short and simple letter to cottagers" than by his " Bee Book." 

 The " Bee Book " is a large volume, beautifully got up, and I think half-a-guinea, if 

 not more in price ; whereas his short and simple letter is to be had at three-pence, from 

 the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn 

 Fields. It was formerly published at Oxford, at two-pence. — G. Gordon ; Birnie, 

 Elgin, N.B. 



A huge Tree destroyed in one year, by a longicorn Beetle. — There stood, two years 

 ago, on the Peninsula Colabah, a large and flourishing Adansonia digitata, about 

 three hundred years old, and forty-four feet in circumference, and which in one year 

 was entirely destroyed by Lamina sentis, belonging to the family of Capricorn beetles. 

 Looking at the outer bark there were, with the exception of a few holes, no traces ob- 

 servable of (the devastation) its destruction. This beetle is eaten by the natives, and 

 when preserved in sugar, is regarded as a great delicacy by the Chinese and Malays. — 

 OrlicK's Travels in India, vol. i, p. 58, — Isaac Taylor, (trans.) August 4th, 1846. 



Notes on the habits of the Dyschirii. — There are few groups of our British Coleop- 

 tera which have been more neglected than the Dyschirii. Partly from their apparent 

 rarity, and partly from other causes, most entomologists assert that they " cannot find 

 them." Whether it is that they are not generally searched for, or that the research be 

 fruitless, it is impossible to say ; but so far as my experience goes, I should be inclined 

 to ascribe their " rarity " to the former cause, for I seldom fail myself of obtaining an 

 abundance of specimens in positions, similar to those hereafter to be mentioned, which 

 experience has shown me are most likely to produce them. Although they occur both 

 inland, and upon the coast, it is the latter which affords by far the greater number of 

 species ; which is, perhaps, one reason why the generality of our entomologists are, for 

 the most part unacquainted with them. There are but two soils on which I have my- 

 self ever succeeded in procuring them in any abundance ; the first is sand, which is 

 by far the most prolific : and the second, — the alluvial deposits of the fens ; which also 

 produce a profusion of specimens, but usually only two or three species. Owing to 

 much confusion which has existed, I am aware of the extreme difficulty of arriving at 

 satisfactory conclusions respecting their true names ; nevertheless, partly from my own 

 exertions, but more particularly through the kindness of my friend Mr. Haliday, who 

 has lent me his valuable assistance, I have succeeded in giving the species those titles 

 which appear to be the most legitimate. The fens in the Isle of Ely and in the 

 neighbourhood of Cambridge, have one species which is most abundant ; this is the 

 common gibbus. A flood never occurs without washing them up in the greatest pro- 

 fusion ; and during the whole summer months they may be found by hundreds, under 

 the decayed sedge and rubbish, which is cleared out of the ditches, and allowed to re- 

 main in heaps along the banks. At Whittlesea Mere and in the adjoining fens of Hun- 

 tingdonshire, there are two species which may be literally said to abound. These are 

 aeneus (Zeigler, De Jean, Erichson and Heer), and a minute species which I had 

 named minimus (of Curtis), but which Mr. Haliday is inclined to consider a small 

 variety of gibbus. The first of these is a very distinct species, and has been usually 

 looked upon as one of the rarest of the genus. Mr. Haliday captured a few specimens 

 of it some years ago near Holywood, in the north of Irelaud ; and on examining a 

 long and variable series which I sent for his inspection, observed to me that the species 



