6 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



[January 



the central band of the elytra strongly deflexed and produced towards 

 the apex, and is a smaller and more slender insect ; whereas in the 

 former the central band is simply waved. Dr. Ellis says — "it has 

 been erroneously recorded as occurring in our neighbourhood" 

 (Liverpool). This certainly is interesting, as if it were true that C. 

 hybrida and C. maritima occurred together in the same locality, then 

 there would be a strong presumtion of the latter being a variety only : 

 as it is, the evidence seems to point the other way. My own series 

 was obtained for me by Mr. Gillo, who sends the following account : — 

 " At Burnham, in Somersetshire, there are extensive sands, 

 reaching past the village of Berrow as far as Brean Down. They are 

 edged by sand hills, bearing a scanty vegetation. Here C. maritima 

 abounds from the end of May until September ; on any fine sunny day 

 it may be seen running and flying about, and almost any number may 

 be easily taken with the hand only. This beetle is so like the colour of 

 the sand that it requires an experienced eye to detect it. On one occasion 

 when I was taking it freely, a gentleman, after watching me for some- 

 time, enquired, with apologies, what it was that I was catching. I 

 replied " Tiger Beetles," and showed him one. " But," said he, " I 

 can't see any." Presently, however, pointing to a large grey fly, he 

 asked " is that one ?" This showed, of course, that he had not a trained 

 eye for insects. I then pointed out the beetles to him, and he was 

 astonished that they were so numerous, wondering he had not observed 

 them before. 



I extract the following observations concerning C. hybrida and C. 

 maritima from Annual, 1858, by Mr. J. F. Dawson, (Notes on British 

 Geodephaga) : — ■" Some surprise has been expressed that I should 

 persist in maintaining these insects as distinct species, contrary to an 

 increasing opinion that they are only varieties of the same. I have 

 never found reason to question the fact of their being distinct. They 

 present structural differences, which, though slight, are well defined, 

 besides the invariably dissimilar form of the central band. Take, for 

 instance, the claw — in that we have a structural character, which will 

 be patent to anyone who will examine it. With the aid of a damp 

 camel-hair brush, mount and expand the unguiculi of each, so as to 

 examine them fairly, and it will be found that the claw in hybrida is 

 invariably larger and stouter than in maritima. Near Burnham 

 Market and on the north coast of Devonshire maritima is found in 

 immense profusion, and in not one example will the form of the central 



