THE INSECTS OF ALDERNEY. 389 



type. The fine burying beetle Necrophorus germanicus, is 

 very rare in Britain. 



Hoplia pkilanthus was abundant on flowers on the cliffs in 

 June. It has not been observed in Guernsey for many years. 



Two males of the curious beetle Drilus Jlavescens were 

 captured. A single specimen of Timarcha laevigata, the large 

 bloody-nosed beetle, was taken in May. This is an interest- 

 ing capture, as although it is one of the commonest beetles in 

 the South of England, its absence from Guernsey has often 

 been remarked. Meloe brevicollis, one of the rarest of British 

 beetles, also occurred. 



The hot and dry summer was very favourable for the 

 Aculeate Hymenoptera, hence the list of this order is a very 

 large one, no less than 65 species have been added to those 

 previously recorded. 



Mr. E. Saunders, F.L.S., who kindly examined and 

 named the specimens, remarks that '* they are a very English 

 lot ; only one species, Andrena flessce, has not been taken in 

 England." He says " the dark undersided form of Bombus 

 Smithianus is of special interest, as most our southern speci- 

 mens are pale beneath, in fact, I have never seen one that is not, 

 but I do not know what the earlier recorded specimens were 

 like (i.e., from Scilly, &c). The Scotch ones are nearly all 

 black beneath." 



Other interesting species are Gorytes campestris, which 

 is rare and local in England, Nysson trimaculatus, a rare little 

 species which has the curious habit of falling to the earth 

 and feigning death when alarmed. Two rare species of bur- 

 rowing bees (Colletidce) make their burrows from 8 to 10 

 inches in length in the sand banks, sometimes forming 

 extensive colonies. Andrena nigiiceps is a rare species. Two 

 species of Cilissa, C. melanura and C. leporina, are worth 

 noting as they have not been captured in Guernsey. The 

 former was only discovered in England a year or two ago. 

 Two species of Ccelioxys, C. rufescens and C. vectis are also 

 absent from the Guernsey list. 



Of a neglected section of the Hymenoptera, the 

 Ichneumonidce, nineteen species have been named by Mr. 

 Claude Morley, F.E.S., one of the very few students of this 

 family in England. 



No doubt the list of Hemiptera can be greatly increased, 

 but a fair number have been captured, many of them rare or 

 local in England. 



One species Peribalus vernalis is extremely rare in 

 Britain, and Mr. E. Saunders remarks in his " British 



