6068 



Insects. 



piceus, which was being trampled under foot by Thiasophila anoulata. I spent nearly 

 an hour over this handful of the nest, which proved the best I examined, and, after 

 three hours took stock and found I had, in all — 



Dendrophilus pygmaeus ...... 12 



Saprinus piceus 4 



Leptacinus formicetorum ..... 5 

 Thiasophila angulata ...... 4 



Oxypoda haemorrhoa 2 



Othius ? sp 1 



Trichopteryx ?sp 1 



I hope to go again and get more specimens and species, but I am desirous to put 

 others on the search of the ants' nests in their neighbourhood now^ because the process 

 is not only more practicable than it will be later in the season, when the ants are more 

 active, but it is probable the beetles are now more centralized than they will be later 

 in the season. Every one will, for his own future chances of success, be glad to replace 

 the materials he takes from the nest, remembering that it is not every nest that is 

 productive of beetles. — /. W. Douglas; 6, Kingswood Place, Zee ; April 3. — From 

 the ' Intelligencer.^ 



Ants' -nest Beetles. — " I am sorry to see that England, like France, * openly preaches 

 and elevates to a doctrine' ants'-nest ravaging. Of course there is a difference between 

 taking a handful and sifting a nest: the teaching, however, is precisely the same, and 

 when it is coupled with such success as yours, and recommended by a person of your 

 entomological status, I feel confident the system will be disastrous to the occupants of 

 the nests, both Hymenopterous and Coleopterous. Such examinations of ants* nests 

 as you mention, when done tenderly, at this time of the year, may not produce much 

 mischief, but if often repeated, at a more advanced season, when their different 

 chambers are completed and occupied by larvae and pupce in their various stages, 

 requiring various degrees of warmth, how are these conditions to be ensured if the 

 hands of all the Myrmecophilous Coleopterists of the * Great Babylon' are to be 

 ' boldly thrust' into the nests of their pets, overturning the pillars and divisions of their 

 house, letting in the roof, and putting all in confusion ? This is what must occur if 

 done in your style, and with the most gentle hands: what will be the fate of colonies 

 operated upon by ' roughs?' It will be no less than spoliation, and you must be pre- 

 pared for such scenes to be common, and all nearly equal to the Highgate performance, 

 which must necessarily make Myrmecophilous Coleoptera first * common,' soon 'rare:' 

 who is there but laments the condition of ' the light loamy bank ?' Now this is no fault 

 of one or tw o persons, but the fault of a system, and T very much regret that you should 

 have identified yourself with a system you may feel to be harmless, but which I think 

 will soon prove otherwise." The foregoing is an extract from a letter I have received 

 from a well-known collector, and as every subject is better for being seen on both sides, 

 I have requested and received the writer's permission to publish his remarks. I am the 

 last person to advocate the wanton destruction of any creatures, and in this case the 

 disastrous consequences of the "system," I cannot but think, are greatly overstated, for 

 I have seen nests of Formica rufa thoroughly and repeatedly stirred up by boys, and 

 yet the ants flourished afterwards as much as ever. It is so clearly the interest of the 

 collector not to destroy the nests, that I think no one will do that which will produce 

 such an effect, but even if, regardless of consequences, any one were willing to exter- 

 minate the ants, I doubt if they would let him, so pertinacious and formidable are their 



