THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



75 



GOSSIPING NOTES ON BRITISH COLEOPTERA, 

 By G. A. Lewcock. 

 V. — CARABIDiE. 



NOTIOPHILUS— LEISTUS— continued. 



By the courtesy of the Editor, I am enabled to add the following 

 item from a correspondent to the information already given concern- 

 ing the genus Carabus : — 



" Variety of Carabus granulatus, L. — Several correspondents report 

 " as to the scarcity or abundance of this insect. It occurs here 

 " (Derby) very commonly in the autumn, hibernating under loose bark 

 " and in stumps of trees. Some three years since, Mr. Smedley was 

 " collecting in this neighbourhood, and I gave him two specimens of a 

 " beautiful metallic green colour. This variety, he told me, had not 

 " previously come under his notice, and as no mention is made in Mr. 

 " Lewcock's notes of a variety of this species, it may perhaps be of 

 " some interest to your readers." — G. Pullen, Derby. 



I am obliged to Mr. P alien for his notice of this variety of C. 

 granulatus ; and also highly gratified to learn that so much interest is 

 taken in these Notes. It shows that Entomologists, as a rule, have an 

 interest in their captures apart from the mere obtaining of specimens, 

 naming, and putting them in their cabinets simply to fill up 

 the blank spaces. 



Other species of this genus also vary considerably in colour, notably 

 C. monilis and C. arvensis ; and I here take the opportunity to explain 

 that these notes contain only the personal experience of gentlemen 

 who are good enough to send me their communications. 



Calosoma, Weber. — Derived from two Greek words meaning 

 " beautiful body." Two species are said to occur in Britain ; but C. 

 sycophanta, L., though plentiful enough on the Continent, finds its way 

 here but occasionally, and can hardly be considered indigenous. It is 

 not only a handsome insect, but at the same time an exceedingly use- 

 ful one, as both larva and beetle feed voraciously on certain lepidopter- 

 ous larvse which attack the pine plantations. They are also known 

 to devour the larvae of Lophyrus pint, the Pine Saw fly. Mr. West 

 (Greenwich) has two specimens of C. sycophanta, L., in his collection, 

 viz. a female which was picked up by Mr. W. H. Tugwell, at Shanklin, 



