NOTES. 209
welcome guests, inasmuch as they could reach the nectariferous spur without coming
into contact with the pollen, or, at a later stage of the flowering, with the stigma.
They would thus consume the nectar without profit, and not only so, but by dimin-
ishing the attraction would limit and hinder the visits of those insects, which, being
larger and coming on the wing, would in entering the flower necessarily come into
due and successive contact with the pollen and the stigma. As with Impatiens
tricornis, so is it with other plants where nectar is secreted on the leaves. Though
these leaf-formations may present no mechanical hindrance nor offer any insurmount-
able barrier to small creeping ants, they yet serve to divert such visitors from the
flowers, and deter them from further advance. I do not, therefore, hesitate to
interpret all nectar-glands that are found on leaves as means of protection against
the unwelcome, because unprofitable, visits of creeping insects." (Dr. A. Kerner's
"Flowers and their Unbidden Guests," translated by Dr. Ogle, pp. 136-9).
Geology of Chelmsford—Correction of an Error.—I am sorry to say that
in a short note I contributed to the first number of the Essex Naturalist (page
16) there is rather a serious error in the concluding paragraph. The teeth there
recorded as being those of Elephas primigenius, I now find on cleaning them are
not fossil at all, but are recent teeth of an Asiatic elephant. The error arose from
the misplacement of a label—" E. primigenius, Widford Cutting "-which had
been no doubt originally placed on a true fossil, but which in the confusion obtain-
ing so long in the Chelmsford Museum had been wrongly attached to the group
of recent teeth. I can only express my regret at the annoying error, and ask your
readers to strike out the concluding paragraph of the note in question.—F.
Challis, Chelmsford.
Coleoptera in Northey Island, Essex.—While on a visit to Mr. B. A.
Fitch, at Maldon, early in July, 1887, I had an opportunity of a few hours collect-
ing on Northey Island, a low, and, for the most part, marshy tract of land of
about 350 acres extent, situate in the Blackwater River, and accessible by road
only at low water. Although I met with no particularly rare species, I should
think it would probably prove to be a good locality for Coleoptera, but, owing to
the unusual drought this summer, the marshes were completely dried up, which
rendered it unfavourable for collecting. At the suggestion of Mr. Fitch, I bottled
specimens of nearly every species I observed, and as it may, perhaps, be of interest
to local collectors, I include them all in the following list, although most of them
are common and generally distributed species. Dolichosoma lineare; I obtained
this species in profusion by sweeping the sea lavender, which grows commonly on
the shore below high water mark, and as it was to be found directly the plants
were exposed by the receding tide, I presume they must remain submerged for a
considerable time at every tide. Telephorus lateralis, T. thoracicus, Malthinus
frontalis, Malthodes sanguinolentus, Malachius aeneus, M. viridis, Mecinus pyraster
and Isomira murina, were also taken by sweeping on the shore. Beneath sea-
weed, dead Crustacea and other rejectamenta, Alcochara grisea, Homalota hale-
brectha, H. palustris and Philonthus xanthoioma, were abundant; while Dromius
nigriventris, Bembidium varium, Laccobius nigriceps, Helophorus grisens, Stilicus
affinis, Choleva agilis, Necrophorus vestigator, Aphodius pusillus and Corynetes
caeruleus, also occurred. On aquatic plants at the margin of a small pond Tel-
matophilus caricis, Scirtes hemisphaericus, Erirhinus tortrix, Donacia sericea,
D. linearis, and Prasocuris phellandrii were common, and Rhinoncus pericarpius,
R. bruchoides, Donacia dentata, D. lemnae, Phaedon betulae, and Anisositicta 19-
punctata were also taken sparingly. By sweeping on the inner side of the sea
wall, I secured one specimen each of Anisotoma macropus and Gymnetron ros-
tellum, and several Polydrosus chrysomela. Other species taken, chiefly by sweep-
ing, were Homalium iopterum, Antherophagus nigricornis, Epuraea deleta,
Alomaria linearis, Scymnus frontalis, Anthocomus fasciatus, Octotemnus glabri
cuius, Phyllobius oblongus, Anthonomus rubi, Rhamphus flavicornis, Magdalinus
atramentarius, Apion pomonae, A. difforme, A, hydrolapathi, Bruchus rufimanus,
Grammoptera ruficornis, Chrysomela varions, Batophila rubi, Plectroscelis aridella,
and Thyamis fuscicollis.—Oliver E. Janson, F.E.S., 22, Perth Road, Stroud
Green, London, N.