88 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[April 



applied to the teeth of animals, and is very applicable to the projecting 

 mandibles of this beetle ; Cephalotes Greek (<K5?uXoc) referring to its large 

 head." Our single species B. cephalotes, L., is found principally on the 

 sea coast, and is a tolerably evil-smelling insect ; probably few per- 

 sons would care to handle it a second time. Mr. W. E. Sharp 

 (Ledsham) records it as "common all round our shores in Lancashire, 

 Cheshire, and North Wales, lurking under pieces of loose wood, sea- 

 weed, &c." Mr. Champion (" Kent and Surrey Coleoptera ") : " Sandy 

 coast and banks of rivers ; abundant on the coast, rare inland ; Sheer- 

 ness, Deal, Folkestone, Whitstable (Kent) ; one at Walton-on-Thames, 

 Surrey." Mr. R. Gillo : "A very common species under marine 

 rejectamenta at Burnham, and the most interesting example of feigning 

 death that I have ever seen." Mr. Keys : " Under stones on the shore, 

 and at roots of plants, Plymouth." The Rev. W. F. Johnson : 

 " Broscus seems pretty fairly distributed in Ireland ; I have records from 

 Antrim, Donegal, Louth, Dublin, Wicklow, and Waterford. I found 

 it very plentiful last summer (1893) on the Donegal coast." Mr. H. G. 

 Cuthbert : "Very common on all the shores; I have met with it in 

 Down, Louth, Dublin, &c." 



Miscodera, Eschscholtz. — Derived from two Greek words, [xl^oc, 

 stalk, Iripos, long ; evidently in allusion to the peduncle joining the 

 thorax and abdomen. Arctica (xpxTixbc), northern, refers to the habitat. 

 Our species, M. arctica, Payk., resembles Dyschirius in general appear- 

 ance, but of course is very much larger. It is extremely local. I 

 received my specimens from Mr. Reston and Mr. W. E. Sharp. The 

 latter records it from " Llangollen moors, common in June, but at the 

 same time very local." Also taken by Mr. R. Wilding at same locality. 

 No other reports have reached me, but the late Mr. R. Gillo received 

 his specimens from Bradford, Yorkshire ; this record I am unable to 

 verify. 



Sphodrus, Clairville. — I have nothing further to add to the account 

 given in British Naturalist, vol. i., page 197. 



Pristonychus, Dejean. — Derived from two words meaning serrated, 

 or toothed claw ; probably in allusion to the generic character. Our 

 British species, P. terricola, Herbst., was formerly called subcyaneus, 111. 

 (Sharp's Catalogue, 1871, and Fowler and Matthew's Catalogue, 1883). 

 The beetle is well known as a frequenter of cellars and out-houses in 

 London, and is very common in most parts of England and Ireland. I 

 have found numbers in the sandpits at Esher and elsewhere, and it is 

 reported by all correspondents. Mr. H. G. Cuthbert (Dublin) writes: 

 " It occurs all over the country in kitchens and cellars. I have it from 

 Ely Place, Dublin ; and also have taken a large series in my cellar at 

 Black Rock." An immature specimen was also sent me by Mr. Brown 

 (Dublin), who found the beetle very common in Ireland. 



