i8 93 .] THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 205 



asperifoliavum (1), and many very common species. Among some 

 refuse I took 4 Lithocharis bnmnea, and my nephew, who accompanied 

 me, found a Licinus depresses under a stone. 



My next and most successful day's collecting was at Rainham, Essex, 

 on August 28th. The collecting was on the banks of the Thames, where 

 common beetles were in greater abundance than I have seen them, in 

 the London district, this season. Under stones, &c, I obtained a nice 

 series Amara convexwseula, together with a few A. similata, and two or 

 three very common species of the same genus, Ocypus ater swarmed 

 and Bembidium femorahim, B. concinnum, B. riparmm, and two or three 

 others were all more or less common, as also were both species of 

 Dichivot '-fichus. Among some refuse we discovered a leg of mutton 

 which was decidedly " high," out of which we beat about 180 Corynetes 

 nificollis and 140 C. rufipes, a smaller series of Dermestes vulpinus and 

 plenty of Cveophikts maxilosus. From some bundles of reeds I shook 

 out a number of Anthicus antherinus, Olibrus consimilis, Dromius melano- 

 cep.'cdhis (abundant), and many other common species, also a few 

 Anchomenus atratus, Nonagria lutosa, and several other common Noctuce 

 were shaken out in some numbers. 



On August 30th I paid a visit to Richmond, my best capture in 

 this locality being a specimen of Prionus coriarius, which I found at the 

 roots of an old elm, this insect evidently occurred in some numbers, 

 judging by the number of elytra, &c, we found; we also picked up 

 several dead Lucanus cervus, mostly 2. In fungi Quedius peltatus and 

 Baptolinus alternans occurred together with the usual crowd of Homalotce, 

 &c. In the trunk of a felled elm I discovered a large colony of Rhyn- 

 colus cylindrirostris, we took about 170 and left a great many more 

 behind. Sweeping yielded scarcely anything worth recording with 

 the exception of a single Cassida nobilis. Olibrus ceneus was common in 

 one field. 



My last excursion was to Oxshott, Surrey, on August 31st, my 

 best take on this occasion was Balaninus nnbidus, of which I beat a 

 single example from birch. Coccinellida turned up abundantly by 

 beating the firs and sweeping the heath, the commonest species being 

 Coccinella 18-guttata, while C. oblongo -guttata, C. occllata, C. liieroglyphica, 

 C. variabilis, C. 11-punctata, C. bipunctata, and Chilorcorus bipustulatus 

 were all more or less common. 1 also beat a single specimen of 

 CoccineUa 16-guttata from the firs and one Exochomus ^.-pustulatus. By 

 general sweeping, odd specimens of the following occurred, Scymnus 

 discoideus, Kpnrcea melina, Olibrus consimilis, Salpingus castancus, Adimonia 

 suturalis, Strophosomus limbatus, Otiorhynchus ovatus, &c. 



Owing to the 'drought, I nave found Coleoptera decided scarce, 

 this season, wherever I have collected. — A. Ford, Glen Mount, 

 Braybrooke Road, Hastings. 



