THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



257 



CAPTURES OF COLEOPTERA AT BATH, 

 DURING THE RECENT SEASON. 



By ROBERT GILLO. 



As there are comparatively few who collect and study British beetles, I 

 venture to give an account of some of my captures during this season, although 

 it is only the second year that I have been able to devote to systematic work, 

 hoping it may be the means of inducing some earnest lover of nature to 

 devote his energies to this very interesting branch of entomology. 



The active season near Bath appears to commence about the middle of 

 March. I have in my diary under date March 16th : "All the usual beetles 

 were abundant under stones ; in dung Aphodius prodromus and punctatosul- 

 catus, also Taehinus laticollis and Pkilonthus fimetarius" At the same time 

 I found one Aphodius porcatus at the base of a tree. The lazy Melee pro- 

 scarabceus and Timarcha laevigata were to be seen commonly on the hedge 

 banks. The previous season about this time there was a great flood, and as 

 soon as the water in the river had subsided sufficiently I examined the debris 

 washed up in the meadows, and was astonished at the large quantity of beetles 

 congregated together. March 22nd. — -Tried sweeping and took Apion fru- 

 mentarium, & single specimen, and A.fagi abundantly; also Megarthrus affi- 

 nis, Proteinus brevicollis, Callicerus obscurus, Prasocuris aucta, Sterocorynes 

 truncorum. March 3 1st.— A warm day, and beetles very abundant. Took 

 Anchomenus scitulus, Chrysomela staphylcea } polita, and hcemoptera. April 

 2nd.^Took Liosomus ovatulus, Leistus spinibarbisjfulvibarbis and ferrugi- 

 neus, Bembidium ^-maculatum, Stilicus rufipes, several of the commoner 

 species of Quediut, Philonthus, Xantholinus, Lathrobium and Othius, and 

 Carabus catenulatus. April 3rd. — Examined the loose stones at the base of 

 the walls on Landsdown and found beetles abundant, such as Harpalus latus, 

 Ocypus morio, Pcederus lUtoralis, and, of course, the common Geodephaga; 

 took several Meg acr onus analis and one Othius melanocephalus. April 4th. 

 — I noticed ia dung Aphodius constans and fimetarius. Placed some bones 

 and fish refuse as bait for Silphidee, Sec. April 7 th. — In the lanes several 

 species of Apion were perfectly swarming but the species have not yet been 

 determined. April 13th. — Tried a pond but only took Agabus nebulosus, 

 A. bipustulatus, Hydroporus melanocephalus, and Haliplus lineatocollis. 

 April 17. — By sweeping took Lenta cyanella and L. melanopa. April 18th. 

 — Sitones lineatus and other species were very abundant in a field of vetches. 

 In a damp field on the fuller's-earth clay Byrrhus pilula and Philonthus 

 yariits were in abundance in moss. April 20th. — In dung I noticed Aphodius 



