4956 9 Insects — Radiata. 



Localities of Elaphrus lapponicus and Agabus congener. — On the 13th of August 

 last I started for Catlaw, determined, if possible, to fill up a long-lamented blank in 

 my collection— that caused by the want of Elaphrus lapponicus. The greater part of 

 the day was spent in exploring the mountain, but with little satisfaction, except that 

 arising from the unexpected occurrence, upon the very summit, of Megacronus 

 cinvulatus, a species I had met with only in the lower districts of the country. 

 Proceeding northwards I arrived in Glen Clova, a locality famous to botanists by the 

 labours of Don and Gardiner. After spending four days in the neighbourhood I was 

 at length rewarded by finding, on the ridge betwixt Loch Brandy and Loch Whorral, 

 a single elytron ! there, doubtless, any person of moderate industry may find the lovely 

 creature in the month of June, and I trust the successful investigator will not forget my 

 claim to a specimen on the day of distribution. Though forced to leave without accom- 

 plishing my chief object, I was fortunate enough to fall in with a few desirable 

 species, as Miscodera arctica, Omaseus orinomus, Hydroporus halensis = griseo- 

 stiiatus, Steph. (one or two specimens only), Agabus arcticus (most of them recently 

 fledged) and Agabus congener. This last species seems to be alpine in its predilec- 

 tions, for though, several years ago, I took a single specimen in Robrayston Bog, near 

 Glasgow: the other Scotch localities with which I am acquainted in Rannoch and 

 Mull are on rather high ground, affording the insect sparingly, while the little peaty 

 pool in Clova, in which it was rather abundant, is about 2000 feet above the level of the 

 sea. The specimens vary much both in colour and sculpture: Aube's description of 

 the species is full and accurate; he says it is pretty common in the north of Europe, 

 but Erichson, Redtenbacher and Heer remark that it is rare in their respective 

 countries. — Robert Hislop ; Blairlodge, near Falkirk, December 6, 1855. 



Actinia swimming in an inverted position on the Surface of Water. — I have often 

 seen specimens of Limnaea stagnalis and other fresh-water mollusks swimming on the 

 surface of my diminutive water-gardens, with their crawling disks exposed to the air. 

 I have always been and still am completely puzzled both as to the cui bono and the 

 modus operandi of this exhibition : I have never yet discovered for what good purpose 

 or by what means the pleasing feat is performed. This, however, is merely the perora- 

 tion. Yesterday, being Sunday, the 18th of November, my son called my attention to 

 a mature, indeed venerable, specimen of Actinia Mesembryanthemum, indulging him- 

 self in a similar vagary. After having been quietly moored to a rock for some twelve 

 months or more, he seems to have become possessed of a wandering spirit — to have 

 heaved anchor — and to have cast himself loose upon the waters. There he was 

 majestically and slowly gliding under the surface, for all the world like a ship keel 

 upwards and with all her sails set, for his tentacles were spread abroad in the waters 

 below, with as much complacency as if his base of operations were the very rock on 

 which he had so long been vegetating. The broad disk by which he had formerly 

 adhered was stretched to its fullest extent, and from exposure to the air had become 

 perfectly dry. Mr. Douglas accidentally calling, his attention was invited to an 

 exhibition as new to him as to ourselves, and the polype was soon afterwards com- 

 pelled to abandon his inverted position ; he sank moodily in the water, and has since 

 itturued to the usual sedentary pursuits of his kindred. — Edward Neivman. 



