Insects, 27 1 



hy myself, I may mention Atlimonia Alni, Trypodentlron domesticnm and Hygiotus 

 Stephcnsii. — Vernon Wollaston ; Jesus Coll., Cambridge, July, 1843. 



Note on a species of Aleochara. One of the species of Aleochara, I believe Al. Cur- 

 sor, is very common on the beach near Penzance, under sea-weed. It has a peculiar 

 method of doublinj^ itself up when alarmed, by turning the end of the abdomen up- 

 wards and the head and thorax downwards under the body ; when in this position, it 

 so much resembles a fragment of the weed, that I should not have detected it had I 

 not seen the process of transformation. — Frederick Holme ; C.C.C. Oxford, July, 1843. 



Note on Chrysomela Banksii. This insect occurred in the greatest profusion near 

 Penzance at the end of May and during June. I have often found them sticking on 

 the underside of timber lying on the wet sea-beach. They appear to be much preyed 

 on by the blind worm {Anguis fragilis), which abounds in the West of Cornwall. — Id. 



Note on Cicindela campestris. When several of these insects are confined together 

 they fight savagely, rearing up against one another like dogs. I have known one de- 

 capitate its antagonist with a single stroke of its jaws. — Id. 



Note on Broscus cephalotes. These insects occur in great abundance in holes on 

 the beach near Penzance. When confined in a box or bottle with other insects, they 

 appear to prey on their own species by preference, contrary to the habit of almost every 

 other predaceous insect ; even the opposite sexes will attack each other, as I have of- 

 ten witnessed. — Id. 



Note on Phyllopertha Horticola. This insect is found in Cornwall during the sum- 

 mer in almost incredible numbers. I have seen them in a garden at Tregembo, near 

 Helston, the seat of Wm. Pascoe, Esq., and I think every flower in the garden con- 

 tained three or four ; the rose in particular appeared to attract them. A few days af- 

 terwards I saw them literally covering the eastern side of the cliff", at St. Michael's 

 Mount, feeding on the borage growing there. They vary considerably in colour, some 

 having the thorax green, others deep blackish blue; in some the suture is greenish, 

 and some are of a very deep suff"used tinge throughout. — Id. 



Note on the species of Cionus and Sphcerula Lythri. These insects are not uncom- 

 mon near Penzance. Cionus Scrophularige, Verbasci and Blattaria? appeared particu- 

 larly partial to the balm-leaved figwort {Scrophularia Scorodonia) behind Mr. Bolitho's 

 house at Chyandown, about a mile from Penzance. At first sight they greatly resem- 

 ble the excrement of birds ; and they fall motionless to the ground when approached. 

 Like most of the Rhyncophora they run up a perpendicular surface of glass with great 

 facility. They fly readily and well when the sun shines. I found Sphaerula Lythri 

 in plenty in July, on Osmunda regalis and other ferns, growing on the rocks between 

 Newlyn and Mousehole: like the species of Cionus, it falls motionless when touched. 

 —Id. 



Note on Molytes anglicanus. This insect is very common in the summer near Pen- 

 zance, particularly on the hart's-tongue fern (Scolopendrium vulgare). Its wing-cases 

 are so hard as not easily to be pierced with a pin : and as the insect, when touched, 

 extends its limbs and remains motionless, it must be almost too rough a morsel for the 

 bill of an insectivorous bird. Mr. Griffin tells me that he saw a trout which had snap- 

 ped one from the surface of a shallow stream, rubbing his head against the bottom in 

 evident discomfiture, as if the insect were sticking in his gills by means of its extended 

 limbs. — Id. 



Note on the capture of Pissodes Pini near London. This northern insect has twice 

 occurred recently with us. My friend Mr. Bush found a specimen the other day crawl- 



