hundreds of nests without them: they are most numerous during the early summer months, whilst the larvae are in the nests, and I was at one time inclined, from that circumstance, to think that the fluid extracted from them might serve to nurture particular sexes of ants, but the fact of their not inhabiting every nest at once decides the question.
The figure drawn is that of a male, as shown by the spined intermediate legs; some other minute differences may be observed between the sexes, but not such as can be delineated in a drawing.
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Claviger foveolatus.
(Size, 1 line). Characters—head cylindrical, rather widest in front, eyes apparently wanting; the antennae six-jointed, the first very minute, second larger than the first, the third fourth and fifth transverse, the third joint cup-shaped, rounded towards the head, the fourth cup-shaped, but reversed, the fifth cup-shaped as the fourth, the sixth elongate, cylindrical: thorax rather elongate, widest towards the head: elytra much wider than the thorax; the posterior external angles, in both sexes, furnished with a flock of curved hairs: abdomen wider than the elytra, much depressed towards the elytra, deeply foveolated in the centre, lateral margins reflexed: the legs are rather stout, each tarsus 3-jointed, but only observable under a high power, terminating with a minute claw. The male has a minute tooth at the base of the intermediate femora, and also one towards the apex of the tibiae. The abdomen, in both sexes, appears to consist of five segments, united above: the head, thorax and elytra with scattered yellow hairs, sparingly so on the abdomen. The sexes are about equal in size.
Note.—The Claviger has been subsequently captured even in greater numbers than by myself, in the same field at Mickleham, by Mr. Samuel Stevens. Fred. Smith.
5, High Street, Newington,
July, 1843.
Note on the capture of Coleoptera in Lincolnshire, in June, 184.3. I select the following from above a thousand specimens of Coleoptera, captured by me during last June, in the north of Lincolnshire. The whole month, it will he remembered, was most ungenial and discouraging to the entomologist; and it may be well to add, that in Lincolnshire, a succession of cold east winds were blowing without intermission for nearly three weeks, and so unusual was the season, that for several nights together, in the early part of the month, the thermometer was within a few degrees of the freezing point.
