Insects. 



7975 



top, and they make equally as much noise under water as when at the top ; hut I have 

 never been able to discover the modus operandi. They always appear perfectly still 

 when making this singing noise: several of* my entomological friends have heard it, 

 but have never before heard anything like it proceeding from beetle-musicians. 

 The singing talent was discovered in this way: a friend of mine was sitting 

 writing at a table close by the aquarium, the other evening, when the scratching of the 

 quill pen upon the paper somewhat imitated the noise or singing of the beetles, who 

 must have heard this, for they distinctly auswered the noise made by the pen. After 

 we had discovered the beetles had an ear for music we repeated the scratching, so as 

 to imitate them as nearly as possible, and they as distinctly answered after each 

 scratching. I am persuaded that the noise or singing is oral and not made by the 

 rubbing of one part against another, as some of the Longicornes do when handled or 

 held in the hand. Again, the answering the scratching imitation, I think, settles the 

 question as to the singing noise being a sexual one, being produced by both sexes, 

 and as one of mine appears to sing more than the other, this is most likely the male ; 

 but of this I am not certain, as I have not captured him when singing, but this I am 

 certain of, that it is male and female I have in the tank. — Edward Parfitt ; Devon 

 and Exeter Institution, March 5, 1862. 



[My correspondent has overlooked the interesting paper by Mr. Smith on the 

 musical powers of the British species of Acalles (Zool. 7218) : the genera Aromia, 

 Necrophorus and Cychrus are the most celebrated among the beetle-musicians of 

 Britain.— E. iV.] 



Capture of Scydmanus Godarti and other Coleoptera new to the British Fauna. — 

 A short time ago M. Aube examined a great number of our unknown Coleoptera, and 

 through his kindness I am enabled to add the following names to the list of our 

 indigenous species, viz. : — Scydmaenus Godarti, Latreille ; S. pumilio, Schaum; 

 Trichopteryx attenuata, Gillm.; T. Guerinii, Fairmaire. 



Scydmamus Godarti is the largest of the British Scydmaeni, being nearly equal in 

 size to E. tarsatus; it also resembles that species in colour, but may be 

 distinguished from it by the shape of the head and thorax, and by the pointed 

 elytra. 



Scydmaenus pumilio is allied to S. Sparshallii, but differs from that species in its 

 darker colour, wider form and more obtusely pointed elytra. 



Trichopteryx attenuata may be known from the other species of the same genus by 

 the transverse fovese at the posterior angles of the thorax, and also by having 

 the elytra much attenuated towards the apex, and by the colour of the 

 antennae, which are almost entirely black. 



Trichopteryx Guerinii is intermediate in size between T. sericans and T. pygmaea ; 

 it is much depressed in shape, and the elytra are usually more or less red ; in 

 some specimens they are wholly of that colour. 



Of the above the three last were taken at different periods during the last two or 

 three years, by myself, near this place ; I have also received T. Guerinii from 

 Dr. Power. Of S. Godarti I captured several specimens, last July, from Sherwood 

 Forest. 



To these I must add — not, however, on the authority of M. Aube— Cephennium 

 intermedium, AubS, and Ptenidium Formicetorura, Kraatz. 



