198 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [September 



collection, and then again years may elapse ere another turns up. In 

 1890 a specimen was captured in a house at Bolton, by a boy, who 

 took it to Mr. F. W. Paple. At Warrington, the insect was found in 

 company with cockroaches in a beetle trap. Mr. Kendrick who has 

 thus obtained the specimens, kindly sends me the following respect- 

 ing it. 



" Being desirous of diminishing the numbers of those domestic 

 pests, cockroaches, in my kitchen, I have for some time past used a 

 ' Beetle trap ' with very satisfactory results. In addition to Blattae, 

 however, I have frequently found blackbeetles (Blaps), spiders, and 

 other odds and ends entrapped. In September, 1889, I captured a 

 female of Sphodnis leucophthalinus, and a few days later a pair of the 

 same species. In 1890, I kept a keen look-out for this insect, and on 

 31st August obtained a male by same means. During September I 

 succeeded in getting one more specimen, a female, but was surprised 

 on 2nd instant to find a male, somewhat small it is true, which I 

 presume has hybernated. Not having heard of anyone else obtaining 

 this species hereabouts, I am rather surprised at its having selected 

 my house as its special locality. 



" The specific name, signifying " White eyes " puzzles me, perhaps 

 you can throAv some light upon it. It so happened that the only 

 specimen in our public collection here, till I was able to replace it, 

 h-ad whitish eyes. It was old and faded, and bore evident signs of 

 having been treated with an excess of corrosive sublimate, hence I 

 concluded this species might possibly be liable to this peculiarity. 

 My specimens however shew no such tendency.''' 



" It has struck me forcibly for some time that if I could bring under 

 the notice of Coleopterists, especially such as have country or sub- 

 urban gardens, the desirability of trying some such kind of trap, many 

 species of insects hitherto considered rare might be plentifully met 

 with.i The trap I have used is one of the " Demon " pattern, sold by 

 every ironmonger, but, living as I do in a town, I have little oppor- 



''One of the specimens in my series has white eyes, but in the remainder dark ones 

 rule. It would thus appear that this feature is not constant, — G.A.L. 



i'l have no doubt that the trap suggested by Islr. Kendrick would answer the purpose 

 admirably. The method, however, employed by myself and two or three London 

 Coleopterists is to place mutton or beef bones under a flower pot in the garden, 

 and examine daily if possible. By this means many species of beetles are ob- 

 tained with very little trouble. ^ — G.A.L. 



