1940 Insects. 



reluctance, and, changing my position, dwell no longer on their riches. 

 May I therefore request my readers to accompany me a few miles in- 

 land, and take up their position in the old Roman amphitheatre which 

 overlooks the ancient town of Dorchester ? If, standing on the sides 

 of this venerable mound, they turn their backs on Dorchester, and 

 gaze to the south-east, their eye will rest on what they believe to be a 

 secluded valley, shut in between two chalk-hills of considerable 

 height. Its position is at once defined by a quantity of large trees, 

 the tops alone of which are seen, but which are sufficiently apparent, 

 amidst the bleak little hills which surround them, to point out its ex- 

 istence. This valley, which forms part of an old manor called Her- 

 ringstone, was the chief scene of my entomological researches in this 

 neighbourhood. It is one of those remarkable positions, so common 

 in the chalk formations, which produce what in Dorsetshire have ob- 

 tained the name of " Winterbourns," t. e. streams which flow during 

 the winter and spring only, — no vestige being left of them in the 

 summer, except an unusual degree of luxuriance and rankness of ve- 

 getation. Well aware of its peculiarity, this was the very first posi- 

 tion fixed upon by the Rev. Osmond Fisher, who conducted me to it 

 immediately upon my arrival, as the most promising locality in the 

 vicinity of Dorchester. Thus, having explained the position, which 

 when the locality is a remote one I think it more particularly neces- 

 sary to do, I will subjoin a short list (selected from a very long one) 

 of some of the more interesting species which this valley produced, 

 and then make a few observations on one or two contained in it. 



• Dyschirius gibbus Gymnaetron Beccabungae 

 Chlaenius nigricornis Veronicas 



vestitus niger (Germar.) 



Agonum viduum Cleopus pulchellus 



emarginatum Nedyus flovalis 



picipes melanarius 



Omaseus anthracinus Poophagus Sysimbvii 



Oodes Helopoides Rhinonchus brachoides 



Lopha pcecila Phytobius 4-tubevculatus 



Elaphrus cupreus Hydronomus Alismalis 



Colymbetes fontinalis Hypera Pollux 



uliginosus Tanisphirus Lemnoj 



Octhebius pygmaeus Callidium Alni 



Parnus prolefericornis Thyamis lutescens 



Cyclonotum orbiculave Haltica antennata 



Micropeplus porcatus 4-guttata 



Syncalypta arenaria Philontlius rubripcnnis. 

 Byrrhus sericeus 



