282 Bayford : Notes on Blethisa imdtipiinctata, etc. 



and eight from Barnsley. A beetle running- on the g-round 

 attracted my attention. A few hurried movements and it was in 

 a g-lass-top box, which enabled me to see at a g-lance that I had 

 got a new species, so far as my knowledge of local distribution 

 went. To make sure that it was Blethisa was not a difficult task. 

 Although Messrs. Parkin and Hewett assisted me in my search 

 we saw no more ; and a further visit in the spring of the follow- 

 ing year was equally fruitless. On Whit Thursday, 25th May, in 

 very indifferent weather, another search was made. Fortunately 

 I discovered its haunts and, what is more, some of its habits. 

 As these do not seem to have been recorded it may be as well to 

 set them down for future guidance. 



The late Mr. Gregson found it in company of Elaphriis. 

 Now at Ryhill both E. riparius L. and E. cupreiis Duft are 

 extremely common, but Bletliisa most certainly was not in their 

 company, although not far away. Most coleopterists will have 

 noticed the preference of ELapliriis for more or less bare patches 

 of ground exposed to the rays of the sun. So far as 1 could 

 see Blethisa avoided these bare patches, preferring to run about 

 amongst the short grass whilst the sun shone, and retiring 

 amongst the damp debris and flood refuse when the sun was 

 overcast and rain falling-. Most of the specimens were taken 

 by carefully sifting this flood refuse during the rain. 



Blethisa appears to take short flights at rare intervals, for 

 although I never by any chance saw one take to wing I noted 

 on two occasions one alight and rapidly close its wings. A later 

 visit on 5th June, a typical day for such species, very hot with 

 bright sunshine revealed its presence in other parts of the same 

 locality, the places where I had previously taken it being entirely 

 submerged, an effect of the heavy rains of the previous week. 

 Though Blethisa is not an aquatic species it does not hesitate to 

 rush out on the surface of the water. 



Amongst other captures was a single specimen of Anchomeniis 

 marginatiis L., of which Mr. Hey says: — 'There is only one 

 record of the capture of this well-marked species in Yorkshire, 

 viz., 2. N.E. Scarborough, Jan. 1839, 'taken in the immediate 

 neighbourhood ' (W. K.B.).' 



Although this is the first specimen I have taken, several 

 have been taken in this district, at Worsborough reservoir, in 

 1883, by Mr. C. Bellamy, and again in 1900 by Messrs. Walmsley 

 and Whitaker. It has also been met with in the Doncaster 

 district by Dr. Corbett, and is included in Mr. Russell's list of 

 beetles taken in the Hull district. 



Naturalist, 



