THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



and the larvae of the Currant and Gooseberry Sawfly (N. ribesii). The 

 former has been very active amongst the leafage arid blossoms of the 

 apple already. From Horsmonden, in Kent, and from S. Devon I have 

 notes of swarms of two of the Bibionidse, namely B. mavci and B. anglictts 

 (Verrall). A correspondent in Kent writes: "The small black flies 

 (B. anglictis) swarm here now (April 22nd), especially on the currant 

 and gooseberry bushes." Although the larvae feed upon various roots, 

 I do not fancy they will prove of an injurious nature unless to grass 

 lawns and delicate herbage. 



COLEOPTERA. 



Sphodrus Leucophthalmus. — I note Mr. Beck's report re this 

 species in the April number of The British Naturalist — vide 98. In 

 September of (I believe) the year 1889, I found a fine specimen of this 

 species in a " beetle trap," which I had set in my late residence in 

 Warrington, but saw no more that season. Knowing that the species 

 was by no means common, I kept a sharp look-out for it during the two 

 following years, with the result that from first to last I obtained about 

 twenty specimens, mostly females, in the same manner. On more than one 

 occasion I was so fortunate as to secure two specimens at a time. As a 

 rule I found them most plentiful in August and September, but have 

 met with them as early as May. As most Coleopterists will be aware, 

 this fine species is peculiar in having, in the male only, the posterior 

 coxae produced into a spine, more or less variable in length and acute- 

 ness. The use of it I cannot divine, unless it serves something the 

 same purpose as the inflated anterior tibiae in Dytiscus, and other allied 

 genera. Not having any collection of my own as such, the specimens I 

 took have been distributed among sundry entomological collections with 

 the exception of three or four ; these are at the service of any Coleopter- 

 ists requiring them as far as they go. One of them is of a reddish 

 colour, a circumstance I at first ascribed to variation, but have since 

 concluded that it had when killed not long before emerged from the 

 pupa state, and had not time to acquire the normal colour. I shall be 

 glad if Coleopterists will express an opinion as to how far I am correct 

 in my conjecture on this point. Another strange circumstance remains 

 a mystery ; although I lived in the same house for twelve and a half 

 years, yet during the first ten I never observed a single specimen of this 

 beetle. It might be that, my attention not having been aroused to their 

 presence, I may have overlooked them amongst a lot of cockroaches. 

 It never occurred to me, however, to suppose my house was " a special 

 locality " for this species. Having left the premises since December, 

 1 89 1, I am not in a position to procure any more. While writing of this 



