90 



The Naturalist. 



studies. With tlie exception of two papers — one on tlie Geodephaga, 

 the other on the Hydradephaga of the district, read before the 

 Historic Society of I^ancashire and Cheshire by Mr. Charles S. 

 Gregson, which papers are printed in the Transactions of that society 

 for 1861-2 — and a few remarks on coleoptera new to the district by 

 by Mr. F. Archer, in the Liverpool Naturalists' Scrap-book (vol. 1 67- 

 169), we possess no list of our coleoptera. Having therefore to rely 

 on the collections of myself and friends (with the exception of the two 

 groups mentioned above, where Mr. Gregson has ably paved a way 

 for me), it will be an impossibility to give a complete list of our 

 species ; but, since a poor list is better than no list at all, as it may 

 form the basis of a more perfect one, I trust that my endeavours in 

 this direction will meet with approbation. 



I intend to devote this occasion to a consideration of the species of 

 the group Geodephaga, of which, according to Dr. Sharp's Catalogue, 

 we possess 311 British species. In the list of Geodephaga of the 

 district alluded to above, Mr. Gregson enumerated about 140 species 

 as having been taken in our neighbourhood ; since this time Mr. 

 Archer has added one species — Anchomenus puellus, D ; Mr. F. 

 Kinder has added three species, viz., Amara hifrons, Gyll., A. plebsia, 

 Gyll., and h'arpalus pemeticoUis^ Pk. I myself have added seven 

 species to this list, viz., Notiophilus substriatus, Wat. ; Dromius meridio- 

 nalis, D.; Anchomenus atratus, Duft. ; Ani&odactylus poeciloides (Steph.; 

 Barpalus tardus^ Px. ; Ilarpalus iynavus, Duft. ; and Bembitlum 

 guttula, F. This addition of eleven species gives us a local list of 

 nearly half the Geodephaga occurring in Britain. 



Although we have lost a few of Mr. Gregson's localities — such as 

 Wallasey Pool by the formation of the Birkenhead Docks, and the 

 sandhills beyond Hall-road station by their strict preservation, — X 

 doubt not that if the high lands about Heswell and Thurstastoa^ on 

 the marshy land between Bidstow and Leasowe (through which the 

 rivers Birket and Tender wend their way), were explored, we should 

 find new localities for many of the more local species, in addition to 

 species new to our district. 



GEODEPHAGA. 



CICENDELID^ 



€lCENDELA. 



C. campestris, L. Bidston Hill ( J W E) * 3 on the mosses (C S G), 

 May to July. Oftener seen than captured. 



* In order to avoid repetition, I shall use the initials J. W. E, ; C, S. G. : J. H. S. 

 and F. K., for myself. Messrs. Gregson, Smedley, and Kinder respectively. 



