Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 4 (1846).djvu/120

1286 many other insects which occurred profusely in this rich locality, I

may mention the following as most worthy of notice.

Dromius foveolus Ægialia globosa

Dyschirius cylindricus Anomala Frishii

gibbus Otiorhynchus atroapterus

Harpalus latus Macrocnema marcida

piger Cteniopus sulphurea

Hydroporus jugularis (Bab.) Aleochara fuscipes

Colymbetes conspersus bimaculata

Octhebius murinus Cursor

pygmaeus Philonthus lituratus

bicolor bipustulatus

rufimarginatus rubripennis

punctatus Xantholinus bicolor

Chaetarthria seminulum Hesperophilus fracticornis.

Atomaria mesomelas

To these I may add a pair of a very large and beautiful species ofScymnus, — if not undescribed, certainly new to this country: — several specimens of a new Dendrophilus (which I shall hope shortly to describe) ; and a series of a very distinct Aphodius which does not appear to be noticed by any of the British naturalists, and which has been subsequently taken by Mr. Hardy (I believe in tolerable abund- ance) near Newcastle.

Happening to be at Caermarthen during one of those heavy floods which are so common in all hilly districts, and nowhere more so than in the large tract of country stretching southwards to the sea below the Welch mountains, I had a good opportunity of witnessing in a short time the comparative distribution of the Coleopterous genera in the rich Vale of Towey, — the first fruits of which were washed up in the course of a few hours and left by tens of thousands — in living my- riads, — amongst the refuse which remained after the waters had par- tially subsided. To describe indeed the vast confusion of life which existed in the rubbish when the flood commenced its retreat would be utterly impossible. It must be seen to be conceived. I have had num- berless opportunities of witnessing the overflow of large rivers (par- ticularly the Trent, on the borders of Lincolnshire and Nottingham- shire), and have often reaped immense harvests from their conse- quences ; but never had I any conception of the extreme limit to which their devastations might be carried, until I beheld for the first