4848 Insects. 



peculiar representatives that frequent not aquatic plants, but the 

 margins of pebbles ; species of the genera Elrnis and Hydraena may 

 often be taken by removing with the hand stones from the bottom 

 of brooks, and examining their under-surface ; while muddy banks 

 are tenanted by Heteroceri and some species of Cercyon. Although, 

 however, these are the most productive localities, it is often advan- 

 tageous to search those that appear the most unproductive. I have 

 taken good Hydropori in a horse-tank : when adjoining ditches, 

 promising in appearance, were barren, recently-flooded grass fields 

 have produced insects not to be met with under usual circumstances ; 

 and I recollect that T first captured Hydrop. geminus, in the utmost 

 profusion, in the filthy mud of one of the Huntingdonshire Fen lodes, 

 when nothing whatever was to be found in the ordinary localities. 



With reference to the important subject of the due preparation of 

 specimens when taken for the cabinet, I cannot do better than refer 

 your readers, especially such as are commencing the study, to the 

 capital remarks of my friend Mr. Wollaston, in the second edition of 

 Mr. Stainton's ' Entomologist's Annual' for this year. If the collector 

 has but little time for arranging smaller specimens, during his ento- 

 mological excursions, I recommend Mr. Wollaston's plan of setting 

 out promiscuously the choicest examples on large pieces of framed 

 card-board, to be cut out, pinned and arranged hereafter at leisure; 

 this plan, however, requires ample time and abundant leisure: to 

 those who can command less time for future setting out I should 

 recommend the plan, which I as frequently adopt, of having in the 

 travelling-case small oblong cards, of two or three sizes, neatly cut, 

 which may receive at once single or pairs of specimens, and which, 

 without any further preparation of cutting or pinning, are ready to 1 

 be catalogued forthwith, and forwarded to entomological friends, or 

 consigned to the cabinet. Both plans are good, and the adoption of 

 either will produce a neat, well-disposed collection. I shall have 

 pleasure in sending to any Coleopterist some of my cards, which are 

 printed on one side with a copper-plate, for the purpose of being more 

 accurately cut. 



With regard to the season for collecting; in opposition to the re- 

 quirements of other insect-life, all months are more or less productive. 

 June is the height of the season ; but owing to the protection which 

 these families have from extremes of temperature, no month is without 

 its representatives. I have taken many species from under the ice, 

 and indeed the scarce species, Hydrop. oblongus, Steph., and Agabus 

 striolalus, Gyll., and probably others, are to be taken freely only in 



