1284 Insects. 



nary specimens. Also in the latter locality particularly dark examples of Telephorus 

 testaceus, which is the only instance of all which have been hitherto mentioned, in 

 which the change has been from light to dark. In like manner I might enumerate 

 other species equally remarkable, hut T trust that those already mentioned are sufficient 

 to verify my observations of the extreme liability to change, which, more or less, most 

 insects possess when placed within the immediate influence of the sea. How to account 

 for it I know not. I mention it as a mere fact, and leave it for others to assign a rea- 

 son for its existence. — T. Vernon Wollaston, B.A. ; Jesus College, Cambridge, March 

 9th, 1846. 



Note on the Coleoptera of South Wales. By T. Vernon 

 Wollaston, B.A., F.C.P.S. 



I was much struck during a recent visit in South Wales at the to- 

 tally different set of insects which were constantly occurring (mixed 

 up of course with many species which are abundant everywhere) to 

 those which I had been accustomed to observe in other districts. I 

 think, therefore, a few remarks on them may not be devoid of interest. 

 Although in Coleoptera, every department seemed to possess its 

 rarities peculiar to the locality ; still I cannot say that the numbers in 

 any one given family bore anything like a steady ratio to the numbers 

 in any other (taking the size of each department, respectively, into 

 consideration) ; for some certainly preponderated to an incredible ex- 

 tent above the rest, and none perhaps so much so as the Aphodii and 

 Brachelytra. In the genus Aphodius I was particularly fortunate, a 

 very great number of species having come beneath my notice, and that 

 too in an unfavorable season, and then my researches in many other 

 departments comparatively failed. With the assistance of Mr. Dill- 

 wyn's ' Catalogue of the Coleoptera of Swansea (for a copy of which 

 I am indebted to the author), a work most useful in pointing out the 

 neighbouring localities ; and having been fortunate enough to meet 

 with several rarities unnoticed in his list ; I succeeded in numbering 

 upwards of forty species of the genus during a ramble of ten days along 

 the southern coast. 



Aphodius Sus, which is generally considered rare, occurs in the 

 greatest profusion on the sea-shore near Swansea. On Sketty Bur- 

 rows (where I found them crawling up the sand hills in company with 

 iEgialia globosa and Phylan gibbus, I might have taken thousands ; 

 but on the coast of Pembrokeshire and Caermarthcn 1 could not dis- 

 cover the smallest traces of them. 



