THE ^* C, ENTOMOLOGIST'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE: CONDLC'TKn BY J. W. DOUGLAS. E. C. RYE, F.Z.S. R. McLACHLAN, F.L.S. H. T. STAINTON, F.R.S. VOL. XI. Omninm rertnn principia parva sunt, seel suis prof/rrssioiiihi(S nsa, aiigentur.''' — Cicero. LONDON : JOHN VAN VOORST, 1, TATERNOSTER ROW. 1874-5. LOND ON : NAPIEB, PfilNTEB, SETMOUE STEEET, EUSTON SQUARE, N.W, MDCCCLXXV. ^^^ THE ^^vsVsggni^^ (^' ^^.*^ VOLUME XI. ^^Sj\ After ten years' editorial conneetiou with this Magazine, the present seems a fitting time for my withdrawal. For some time past, increasing professional duties have prevented mc from taking that active part in the conduct of affairs which is clearly due from an Editor. In justice, therefore, to our supporters, to my colleagues, and to myself, I con- sider that the best thing to do under the circumstances is to resign ; and I do so, not only without reluctance, but with extreme pleasure, because, before taking this step, I am assured that a substitute for me has been found in our friend Douglas (in himself a world of insect-lore), who has consented to accept my duties and responsi- bilities : such an acquisition to the staff must meet with approval from all, as it is a guarantee that the Magazine will increase in value and interest. I need hardly add, that the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine will always have, as it has hitherto had, my heartiest wishes fur its success. H. GUAED KNAGGS. Kentish Town, N.W. : May, 1874. The unavoidable retirement of my friend Dr. Knaggs having caused a vacancy in the joint Editorship of this Magazine, and it having been represented to me that I could not better serve the cause of Ento- mology than by taking his place, I 'cannot resist the solicitations of my friends to occupy the position of a member of the quadruple alliance. Like Cincinnatus, I had retired from active duty ; recalled, I return to it, not like him as a dictator, but as a co-worker in the field I love, — corde et manu. J. W. DOUGLAS. 15, Belgrave Tcrracp, Lee, S.E. : May, 1874. E, 1874. 2 [June, DESCRIPTIONS OP SOME NEW SPECIES OF THE GENUS PACHYTRICHA. BY D. SHARP, M.B. Among the many interesting and anomalous genera of Goleoptera that inhabit Australia, the genus PacTiytricJia is probably one of the most remarkable. Its satisfactory classification is a difficult point, and I think must yet remain so. Hope considered the genus allied to Olajjliyriis and Chasmatopterics ; Erichson considered it to be an ally of Eucliiriis, but afterwards changed this opinion, and placed PacJiy- tricha among the group of Sericoid Melolonthce, of which numerous genera are found in Australia, one or two in Western South America, one or two in New Zealand, and one in Europe. This group of Sericoid Melolonthce, as established by Erichson, and adopted by Lacordaire, consists of a series of genera differing greatly one from another, and the association of which in one group does not satis- factorily express their differences and affinities. It must be admitted that Pachytricha in its general appearance, and in numerous points of its structure, differs much from all the other genera of the group ; and, if we bear this in mind, and recollect also, that the other genera to which it has affinities, viz., GlapJiyrus and Euchirus, are also very anomalous, and of difficult classification, I think we are warranted in concluding that we are here dealing with a genus which is less Bpecialized than most of the other genera of Lamellicorn Goleoptera, and one therefore which is, perhaps, the little changed descendant of one of the more primitive forms of the family Scarahceidce. I have examined the position of the abdominal stigmata in the Bpecies characterized infra as P. minor, and adjoin their description, as well as some points that have escaped observation in the anatomy of the genus. Abdominal stigmata two, thi'ee, and four, similar in shape to one another, moderately large, very open, elliptical, stigma three rather larger than two or four. Stigmatd two and three placed partly in the connecting membrane, and partly in the horny portion of the abdomen ; stigma four placed just in the horny portion close to the membrane ; etigma five placed also close to membrane, its position being similar to that of the fourth stigma, but it is smaller than that, though it is large and open. Stigma six is small and closed, scarcely quite so near the membrane as the fifth stigma, but yet very little distant therefrom. Stigma seven small, placed close to junction of the dorsal and ventral plates. 1874. 3 Prosternum furnished with an elongate narrow post-coxal process, which is extremely densely clothed with very long hairs. Mesosternum produced between the middle coxa?, these placed closed to one another, and separated only by a thin lamina. Posterior coxa? broader externally than internally ; their upper margin oblique in its direction, their outer and hinder angles acute. I have been so fortunate as to accumulate from different sources nine individuals possessing the characters of the genus ; and, after carefully examining them, have concluded that these individuals are representatives of five different species ; it appears, moreover, to me that none of these specimens can be referred to P. castanea, Hope, the only species of the genus hitherto described ; I have, therefore, drawn up descriptions of these insects, and, in order to make the paper more complete, have copied and added to it the description of P. castanea. These six species may be ai-ranged in two sections, readily dis- tinguished by the structure of the labrum, and which (if connecting links be not discovered) will, perhaps, ultimately be adopted as distinct genera. Section I. Lalrum prqfunde (sed haud usque ad clypei marginem) emarginatum. 1. PACnTTEICHA MUNDA, Sp. n. Nigro-picea, supra nifida, infra dense pallide lanosa, elytris festaceis, antennis 7'ufescentibus, protJiorace dense punctata ; tihiis iwsteriorihus in utroq^ue sexu minus incrassatis. Long. corp. 14 lin. ^ . tarsis anteriorihus, long. 6 lin. 5 . tarsis anteriorihus, long. 3.^ lin. Head pitcliy-black, densclj' punctured. Thorax pitchy-black, phining, the sides densely punctured, the punctures being confluent and rugose ; the front part is closely punctured, the back part more sparingly and indistinctly punctured ; its breadth is nearly one and a half times its length, it has no hairs on its ujiper surface : scutcUum pitchy-black, indistinctly punctured. Elytra testaceous, smooth and shining, without distinct punctuation. Pygidium pitchy, without hairs. Under- side of the body quite woolly, being densely clothed witli palo, soft, long pubcseonco. The last segment of the abdomen without pale hairs. Legs pitchy-black. This species has been sent from Swan River by Mr. Brewer. The two specimens of it before me differ from one another in several respects, and some of these differences are no doubt sexual. In the specimen which I believe to be the male, the legs are longer than in the other, the difference being most notable in the front tarsi, and the three teeth on the front tibia? are less developed. The 4 [June, pygidium is more deflexed, and the apical segment of tlie abdomen is smooth and shining in the middle, while in the female it is finely punctured, each puncture bearing a fine yellow hair. 2. PACHTTEICnA PALLEI^^S, Sp. n. Nigro-picea, supra nitida, mfra dense paUidelanosa,elytris testaceis, antennis riifescentibus, frotliornce dense p%mctato. Long. Corp. 14 Un. ^ . tarsis anteriorihus, long. 6\ Un. $ . adhuc incognita. The only individual of this species before me evidently belongs to the male sex ; it is extremely similar to the male of P. mnnda, and differs from it as follows : it is a little narrower, and the elytra are shorter and more convex, the legs are more slender and a little shorter, the teeth on the front tibiae are less develpped, and the claws are notably smaller. The wool of the under-surface is not so long, and the abdomen is evidently more sparingly clothed. North-West Australia : Mr. Du Boulay. 3. PACnTTniCHA EOBUSTA, sp. n. Picea, supra nitida, infra dense pallide lanosa, elytris castanets, antennis rufescentihus, protliorace laterihus dense punctata. Long. coip. 17 Un. Of this very fine species I have but a single mutilated specimen before me ; this individual, though it has lost all its tarsi, and the club of its antcnnte, is,I think, a female, and there can be no doubt of its being a distinct species from P. munda. It is much larger, notably broader and more robust than that species, the punctuation of its thorax is not so dense, the punctures not being confluent except at the front angles, the labrum is longer and more prominent, the elytra are not BO smooth, and are darker in colour, the pygidium is broader, and has a deep impression at its extremity, the hind tibia? are more dilated at their extremity, the last segment of the abdomen is much broader and less conical in form ; and the fourth and fifth joints of the antennae are much longer than in P. munda. This character will probably offer an easy means of distinguishing the two species ; for in P. munda the fourth joint is only about as long as it is broad, while in P. rohusta it is much longer. This specimen was named Pacliytricha castanea in the collection of Mr. W. W. Saunders ; but I find that it does not agree with "West- wood'd figure (Trans. Ent. Soc, iii, pl# xiii, f. 4), and is, I have no 1S74.} 5 doubt, a different epecica (I should judge Westwood's figure to represent a female). The only locality indicated for the specimen of P. rohusta was " AVest Austi'alia." 4. Pachtthicha castanea, Hope (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond.,iii, p. 282, pi. xiii, f. 4). " Piceus, caplte valde acuminato sen melius sub-corniUo. Thorax " antice utrinq^ue spinosus, marginihus elevatis et punctatis. Scutellum " Iceve, postice rotundatum, piceum. Elytra castanea, posfice acuminata, '^^ podice triangulo dejiexo hrunneo. Corpus infra valde pilosum ; capillis " cinerascentibus. Pedes picei et ciliati. " Long. lin. 15, Int. lin. 5^. " Salitat in Nova Sollandid. " This remarkable insect is from Australia, and appears to be a "genus intermediate between Olapliyr.us and Chasmatopterus.^' Section II. Labrum omnino fissum. o. Pachyteicua tecta, sp. n. Castanea, nitida, capita pedibusque piceis ; prothoracis lateribus et parte anteriore fortiter punctatis, lioc etiam hirsuto ; tibiis poster io rib us a^nce fort iter dilatatis. Long. 16 lin., hit 7i lin. Head pitchy, rather coarsely and closely punctured, with a space in the middle leas punctured. Thorax shining, coarsely and rather closely punctured, except a largo space behind, which is nearly impunctate ; the front part is clothed with rather long and scanty hairs. Elytra chestnut-yellow, very shining, and very nearly im- punctate. Pygidium extremely finely punctured. Under-side densely clothed with woolly pubescence, except that the three or four apicul segments of the abdomen are bare. Legs pitchy, the teeth of the front tibim much developed, hinder libi© strongly dUated at the extremity. Of this species I have before me three specimens from Free- mantlo ; they present no evident sexual distinctions, and I suspect them to be all females. I have also another specimen, coming, I believe, from the more northern parts of Australia, which is considerably smaller and narrower than the Freemantlc individuals, and has the tibia) not quite so stout : whether it be the male of P. tecta, or only a small individual of the female sex thereof, I am unable to say. G. PAcnyxEiciiA minok, sp. n. Supra castanea, subtus piceu, sid dense lanosa, pedibus piceis ; pro- thorace ccqualiter subtiliterquepunctato,elytris obsolete punctatis, pygidio crebre asperato-punctato. Long. 12 lin., lat. o[ hn. Q [June, Head darker aud more distinctly punctured than the rest of the upper-surface, with the line separating the clyjieus from the front very distinct. Thorax of a chestnut colour, shining, rather finely and evenly punctured, the punctures, however, rather coarser, and more numerous at the sides and front angles than elsewhere ; it is about oue-third broader than long. Scutellum distinctly punctured, but with the sides and apex smooth. Elytra obsoletely punctured, the punctuation near the ecutellum more distinct than elsewhere. Pygidium closely punctured, and furnished with fine hairs. Under surface with a thick woolly pubescence, except on the middle of the abdomen, where there is only a scanty pubescence. Legs pitchy, hinder tibise moderately dilated at the extremity. I have seen only a single specimen of this insect, which cornea from North-West Australia ; its rough pygidium readily distinguishes it from the other species. Thornhill, Dumfries : 26th March, 1874. DESCEIPTIONS OF FIVE NEW LUCANOID COLEOPTERA. BY CHAS. O. WATEEnOTJSE. 1. Pbismognathus {Oyclorasis) angulaeis, sp, n. ? . Niger, nitidus, Capite pone oculos vix angustiore. Thorace sat crcTjre fortiter punctato, angtiUs antlcis pr'ominentihus. Elgtris crehre sat fortiter irregulariter punctatis, laterihus siihtilius obsolete punctulatis. Long. 9 lin. Closely allied to P. platycephalus, the head is, however, somewhat narrower ; the neck being as it were swollen, the cj-cs are much less prominent than in that species, and the punctuation throughout is more distinct. The thorax is narrower, the anterior angles are very prominent, and the sides in front are less oblique ; the punctuation is moderately close and strong. The elytra present some indications of longitudinal impressed Unes ; the punctuation is moderately strong and close, and somewhat irregular, considerably less close and distinct than in P.platycephalus, and the sides are slightly opaque, obscurely aud very finely punctured. Huh. Japan. Unique in coll. Gr. Lewis. 2. Doacus BiNODULOsus, sp. n. $. D. Dehaanii aj/lnis ; niger, suhdcpressus. MandihuUs capite vix longioribus, arcuatis, apicihus acutis, ad basin supra dente triangulari retrorsum dii'ecto. Capite sub-piano subtilissime granulosa punctis aspo'sis, gcnis pone oculos rcctungiilaribus. Thorace dcpresso sub- 1874.] 7 tiJissime gmnuloso, laterihus marginihusque fortiter punctatis. Elytris sat nitidis, dorso distincte subtiliter striato-pimctatis, interstitiis 1 et 3 vix punctulatis ; laterihus, basi, apiceque crebre fortiter punctatis. Long. 15 lin., mandib. 21 lin. This species is closely allied to Dorcus Dehaanii. As I have seen but a single example, it is impossible to give characters which will separate its larger develop- ments from the allied species ; the presence, however, of two very small tubercles on the forehead (which are separated from each other by a space a little greater than t)ie width of the clypeus) will distinguish it from any specimen of the allied species wliich I have seen ; the cheeks behind the eyes being prominent and rectangular, and the elytra punctured in striae will also serve as distinctive characters. Hab. Japan. Coll. G. Lewis. 3. FlGULUS INTEEEUPTUS, SJ). U. Niger, nitidus. Ociilorum cantho antice vix angulato. Tliorace longitudine \-latiore, antice unituberculato, dorso Icevi, longitudinaliter fortiter canaliculato, latera versus sat crebre punctato, laterihus sub- parallelis, angulis posticis late rotundatis. Long. 5 lin. Somewhat resembles F. Imvipennis, but by the form of the thorax belongs more to the second section of the genus. Head with the forehead concave, sparingly punctured, with foxir small tubercles, the posterior ones being very obscure ; the canthus is scarcely angular in front, slightly rounded at the sides. The thorax is one-fourth broader than long, convex, shining, moderately thickly punctured towards the sides, the anterior margin with a distinct tubercle ; the longitudinal clianncl is deep, and sparingly and obscurely punctured ; the anterior angles are scarcely at all prominent, the sides are scarcely rounded, the posterior angles are much rounded. The elytra are convex, impressed on each side of the suture, twice the length of, but scarcely as broad as, the thorax ; the stria) are nine in number, the second to fifth are strongly impressed at the base, gradually becoming less so towards tlie apex (which is smooth), and the punctures more apparent ; the sixth (humeral) stria is lightly im- pressed at the base, and somewhat strongly so posteriorly ; the seventh to ninth fltriiB are lightly impressed, distinctly and not very strongly punctured. Rah. India. Coll. Brit. Mus. 4. FlQULUS NITENS, Sp. n. Niger, nitidus. Gapite fere Iccvi, antice rufescenti, oculorum cantho rotundato. Tliorace longitudine l-latiore, latera versus crebre puncfu- lato, antice uninoduloso, in medio ct utrinque inter puncta fovcis irihus impresso ; aiifjulis anticis promimiUs, laterihus parallel is ; angulis posticis rotundatis. Elgtris striis novem, 2-0 fortiter impressis, 7-9 vix impressis, punctulatis. Long. 31: lin. g [June, Allied to F. Manillarum, but narrower, with less punctures on the thorax, and the ocular canthus rounded. Head Jalmosfc invisibly and sparingly punctured ; forehead concave with an obtuse tubercle on each side ; the ocular canthus rounded. The thorax is convex, shining ; the disc sparingly and extremely delicately punctured, towards the sides moderately thickly and strongly punctured, with a strongly punctured impression in the middle, and on each side there is a shallow impression among the lateral punctuation ; the anterior angles are very slightly prominent and obtuse ; the sides are nearly parallel, only very slightly narrowed posteriorly ; the hind angles are rounded. Elytra a trifle narrower than, and twice as long as, the thorax, the stria? are nine in number, the second to sixth are strongly impressed (except at the extreme apex), the fifth and sixth only visibly punctured, the interstices are gently convex, moderately thickly but not strongly punctured ; the seventh to ninth striae are scarcely impressed, distinctly but not very thickly punctured. Hah. New South Wales. Coll. Major Parry. 5. MiTOPHTLLUS MAEMOEATUS, Sp. 11. Niger, hrunneo-variegattis, plumheo-micans, squamidis fiavis inar- moratus ; tliorace laterihus pone medium angulatis, dein leviter emargi- natis, angulis posticis rectis. ElytHs fortiter irregulariter punctatis. Long. 7 lin. Closely resembles M. Parrianus, but easily separated from it by its being more convex than that species, and by the sides of the thorax behind the middle being gently emarginate, thus making the posterior angles rectangular. The thorax is thickly and very strongly punctured, with three smooth spots, two on the disc and one in the middle of the posterior margin ; the anterior angles are very slightly prominent, the sides are strongly angular rather behind the middle. The elytra are scarcely broader than the widest part of the thorax, conjointly rounded at the apex, the punctuation is very strong and moderately close, but somewhat irregular ; the yellowish scales, with which the insect is more or less covered, are shorter and broader than those in the allied species, and appear to be confined to the brown portions of the insect, leaving the blacker parts bare. The male has the mandibles black, swollen at the base, with a deep reddish impression above, furnished also above near the apex with a strong tooth. The head is straight in front, with a strong tubercular projection in front of the eyes. In the fe- male, the head is longer and narrower, tlie eyes are smaller and less prominent, and the projection in front of the eyes is much less. The mandibles are much more straight and simple, the apices very acute, and tlie tubercle above is very small and acute. Hab. New Zealand. Coll. Brit. Mus. British Museum : May 7th, 1874. 187i.] 9 BRITISH EEMIPTEEA—ADDYnOl!f AL SPECIES. BY J. W. DOUGLAS. OCULATINA. SALDID2E. Salda opacula. Salda opacula, Zett., Ins. Lap. 2G8, 12, 8 (1840) ; Thorns., Opiisc. iv, 407, 13 (1871) ; nee Ficb., Ent. Monats., vii, 62 (1SG3). „ costalis, F. SaWb., Geoc. Fenn., 152, 5 (1818) ; nee Tlioins., Opusc. iv, 406, 10. „ marginaJis, H.-Schf., Wanz., ix, 130, t. 306, fig. 943 {margmella in tab.) (1833) ; nee Fall, Flor, Stal ; nee 8. marginella, Fieb., Eur. Hem., 145, 8. Oval, black, with very short, fine, golden, silky pubescence. Pronofum — sides straight. Elytra dull ; anterior margin regularly and narrowly testaceous throughout, except at the base ; disc with long testaceous streaks, often obscure, and a posterior whitish spot. Head shining ; clypeus — margin much incrassated towards the sides, whitish ; face •whitish ; eyes brown, large, much divergent posteriorly. Antennce black, 1st joint broadly testaceous on the inner side. Rostrum piceous. Thorax : pronotum shining, trapeziform, sides straight, flattened, anterior callus large, convex, with one small, deep, central fovea, the adjoining posterior furrow deep. Scutellum shining, spotless, a largo wide fovea on the basal portion. Elytra dull ; clavus — posteriorly with an elongate testaceous spot ; coriutn — anterior margin flatly reflexed, especially at the base, and except the basal third and extreme apex, regularly linear-testaceous ; exterior to the black middle nerve the colour is broadly irregularly testaceous, becoming narrow posteriorly, where, on the exterior black area is a distinct, elongate, whitish spot ; beyond the nerve the colour is again broadly testaceous, interrupted in the middle, the basal part having a black, isolated dash giving the appearance of an ocellus, the posterior part clear ; more inwardly is a slender, sinuate, testaceous line not extending to base or apex, followed by a spot of the same colour, and another similar spot is on the inner posterior angle : some or all of the markings on the inner half of the corium are sometimes obliterated ; wie>«6raMe testaceous with black nerves, and sometimes a small black spot between them. Leys testaceous ; ihiyhs internally with darker spots ; tibicB base and apex, tarsi, last joint, black. Abdomen black, shining, with golden pubescence, the poaterior margin of the last three or four segments pale testaceous. Length, li lines. Several examples taken by Dr. F. Buchanan "White, at Braemar, in 1871. S. opacula, Zett., is erroneously cited as a synonym of S. margi- nalis, Fall., by Fieber, /. c, by D. and S., Brit. Ilcm., i, 524, 6, and Strd, (Kf. Vet. Ak. Forh., 391, 8 (1S68). IQ [June, S. marginalis, Fall., is distinguished by its more ovate form, and Bpecially by the hamate mark on the inner side of the less regular pale margin of the elytra, as described in the " Brit. Hem.," I. c. In S. opacula, Zett., the yellow colour of the margin of the elytra is linear throughout. Salda palustbis, n. sp. Broad-oval, deep black, finely punctate, densely clothed with decumbent black hairs mixed with delicate, short, golden pubescence. Antennae black, 1st joint testaceous with brown or blackish spots, or externally black ; 2nd, testaceous towards the apex. Pi'onotum — sides slightly rounded. Elytra dull ; clavus with a spot towards the apex ; corimn, anterior margin in the middle with a long line followed by a shorter one, two spots on the disc, and one in the posterior inner angle, the middle nerve with a line on each side, the ocellate spot in- distinct,— all pale ochreous. Legs testaceous ; thighs black beneath, brown-spotted inside ; tihicB — outwardly with a black line. Head shining ; clypeus margin slightly incrassated, mostly testaceous ; face testaceous, thickly clothed with golden hairs. Antennce black ; 1st joint testaceous, ex- ternally black ((?), or with blackish or brown cloudy spots (?). Rostrum piceous. Thorax : pronotum shining ; sides slightly rounded ; anterior callus moderate, with one central fovea, and in front and behind a row of close, deep punctures. Scutellum with a sub-basal and a posterior depression, posterior portion crenulate. Elytra : clavus shining, a small spot towards the apex ; corium dull, the black decumbent hairs giving a rastrate appearance, anterior margin at the base flattened, crenate, in the middle a long narrow line followed by a short one not extending to the apex, the two being often connected by a stiU finer marginal line ; on the disc nearly opposite the lower end of the long line is a longish spot, and posterior to it a small one ; in the posterior inner angle an obhquo spot ; the usual ocellate ring faint and imperfect ; the middle nerve bordered, externally throughout by a very fine line, internally by a short broad one reacliing to the posterior margin — -all these markings pale ochieons; membrane pale ochreous, nerves strong, black, a long fuscous spot in each c^'ll, margin tinged ■with fuscous, but at the base, externally and internally, for some distance either wholly black, or with a basal pale line or spot. Legs testaceous, with black hairs and spines ; thighs beneath with a black line, inner side with brown spots ; iihicB outwardly with a black line from the base, short and spot-like in the third pair, apex black or blackish, spines on the thh'd pair longer and stronger ; tarsi, last joint with the apical fourth black. Abdomen — beneath shining, densely clothed with pale golden or silvery pubescence. Length, li — IJ line. Some examples are almost wholly black, but the pale, narrow mar- ginal and middle lines of the corium are always more or less visible. 1874.] 11 The Bpecies belongs to the saltatoria group, but cannot be cannot be confounded with any other. It has been seen by Drs. Fieber, Stal, J. Sahlberg, and 0. Router, and is new to them. I took one specimen on the shore at Southampton in September, 1863, and one at Bascombe Chine, near Bournemouth, in September, 1871 (E. ]\r. M., viii, 137), and several were captured last autumn in a marsh at Ilythe, near Southampton Water, among Spartina striata, by Mr. E. G. Keely, and kindly forwarded. i Salda vestita, n. sp. Broad-oval, brown-black, dull, densely clothed with fine, short, golden pubescence, and destitute of black hairs. Antenna; black, Ist joint testaceous, on the upper-side black ; 2nd testaceous, more or less obscured. Pro^wtum — sides slightly rounded. Clavus with a posterior pale spot ; coriuni at the base black, then, on the outer side, broadly ochreous, with a central irregular black spot, the light colour then narrow on the margin and again expanding aa a long spot, interior to this a rounded pale spot ; middle nerve black, posteriorly margined on each side with ochreous, a small spot at the inner angle, and one or two inwardly on the disc ; membrane pale ochreous ; nerves, a spot in each cell, and a large one near the apex of the outer cell, black. Legs testaceous, with dark lines and spots. Head : clypeus — margin very slightly incrassated, ochreous or testaceous ; face testaceous. Antennce black, first joint testaceous, upper-side with a more or less distinct black line ; second obscure testaceous, tlic basal two-thirds mostly blackish. Eyes, black clouded with brown. Mostrum testaceous or piccous. Thorax : pronotum — sides slightly rounded, margin narrowly flattened, scarcely ro- flexed ; anterior callus moderate, with one deep, central fovea. ScuteUum finely punctured, sub-basal depression wide and deep, posterior half crenulate, the depression slight. Elytra : clavus — posteriorly with a longish, pointed, ochreous spot, mostly also with a narrow linear spot on the posterior margin ; corium — anterior margin on the first half flattened, slightly reflexed, basal fourth black, then (except on the extreme edge) for more than one-third of tiie length ochreous, the colour extending inwards to the black middle nerve, and enclosing an irregular black spot, then continued (as a nUe) narrowly on the margin, and widened into a quadrangular spot which does not reach the apex ; on the disc opposite is an isolated, rounded, pale spot ; middle nerve on the posterior half bordered on the outer-side narrowly, on the inner-side broadly, with ochreous; the usual ocellus distinct, its black centre long and narrow ; between the ocellus and the clavus usually a short pale line, posteriorly on the disc two small, long spots, and one at the inner angle ; posterior margin wholly black ; membrane pale ochreous, nerves, and a long spot in each cell, black, margin outwardly shaded with fuscous, and, exterior to the lower end of the outer cell, u long 12 [June, black spot. Legs testaceous, with black hairs ; thiglis broadly black beneath, sides with brown spots in a line ; tihicB black at base and apex, first and second pairs with a long, black line on the outside ; third, with fine, projecting, black spines ; tarsi, third joint black, but on the third pair, the posterior half only. Abdomen black, with golden pubescence on the under-side, the posterior mai'gin of the segments narrowly whitish. Length, (?, If, ? , 2 lines. Several examples taken by Dr. Power, on the shore of Loch Leven in August, 1869 and 1870, and some, in the collection of Mr. T. J. Bold, by Mr. Hardy, in the Tyneside district. The species belongs to the saltatoria group, and in the large ex- terior pale marking of the elytra bears some resemblance to S. stellata. Curt., but the form of the insect is longer-oval, and it is distinguished at once by the dulness of its surface, due to the dense pubescence, which peculiarity Dr. Power tells me struck him when he first saw his captures in his sweeping-net. {To he continued). NOTES ON BRITISH TORT RICES. BY C. G. BARRETT. {continued from Vol. x., ^. 2-47). Garpocapsa Juliana, Curt. — My friend Mr. H. Waring Kidd bred a specimen of this species a few years ago from the "artichoke " galls of the oak (galls of Cynips quercus-gemmce) , but I think that this situation had only been selected by the larva for the purpose of spinning up. There is no evidence to show that the moth is in any sense an inquiline of the galls. Carpocapsa nimhana, H.-S. — This is considered by Prof. Zcllcr and Dr. Wocke as a variety of juHana, but Herrich-Schiiffcr and Heinemaun describe it as distinct. It has not been introduced as a distinct species in the Ent. Annual, but is merely noticed (Ent. Ann., 1870, p. 131) as Juliana, var. The only specimens obtained in this country (as far as I am aware) were bred by Lord Walsingham from larvae found hibernating in cocoons under moss or leech trunks in Buckinghamshire. Now, as Juliana appears to be confined to oaJcs, and is rather widely distributed in this couiitr}^ there seems to be considerable evidence in favour of the distinctness of the two species ; I therefore append a description of nimhana. Alar. Exp. 7 lines. Head and palpi grey ; eyes black ; antennEc and thorax dark grey ; fore-wings slate colour to the middle, thence greyish-brown with scattered oclu'eous scales ; dorsal 1874. 13 blotch wliito, triangular, extending not more than half aeross the wing ; ocellus I bounded by two broad steel-bluo lines, and preceded by a black spot, in tlie middle ; of the wing ; costal streaks indistinct to the middle, distinct and white beyond ; cilia shining, dark brown ; hind wings purplish -gi-cy ; cilia whitish ; abdomen iron-grey. 'j May be dlatiiiguished h'om. Juliana by the form of the fore-wings, ' whicli are rather more blunt at the apex than in that species, and by the shoi't triangular dorsal blotch. In Juliana this forms a long, curved I triangle reaching nearly to the apex of the wing. Garpocapsa splendana, Iliibn. 1 Garpocapsa grossana, Haw. — According to my experience, this is a scarce species, certainly very far less common than splendana. If, a.s Wilkinson asserts, it is common among beeches, it must be in restricted localities. Garpocapsa pomoneJla, Linn. — I sec by a note in the " Zoological Record " that M. Laboulbene has stated in the Ann. Soc. Ent. France, that the larva of this species attacks nuts, and Mr. W. West, of Green- wich, tells me that he has reared the perfect insect from a larva which he found feeding in a walnut. Garpocapsa funehr ana, Tr. — M. Jourdheuille states in his calendar that there is a brood of the larva of this species in May, feeding in the trunhs or stems — "tiges" — of plum. This mistake apparently arises from the fact that the larva? remain unchanged in the cocoons which they construct in the crevices of the bark until the spring, remaining but two or three weeks in the pupa state. He also says that pomo7ie] la has sometimes two broods, probably for a similar reason. OraphoUta albersana, Hiibn. OrapJiolita uUcetana, Haw. — Dr. Wocke substitutes succedana, Frol. (the name by which it is generally known in Germany), but for what reason does not appear, Ilaworth's being decidedly the earlier name and entitled to precedence, unless, indeed, asseclana, Hiibn., a still older name — which probably refers to this species — be adopted. It varies much in different localities. The dull grey form so ex- cessively abundant in this country, is comparatively scarce ou the Continent, and, indeed, in many parts quite unknown, the species being represented by paler varieties. These also occur frequently in Norfolk in company with the grey form, and seem to become commoner in the north. In Lancashire, a handsomely marked whitiHli form, with rich 14 [June, \ dark ocellua, occurs among Genista anglica, and is placed in some collections as a distinct species under the name of asseclana. The most brilliant specimen of this variety that I have seen was taken last summer on one of the Scottish mountains by Dr. F. Buchanan White. But for the connecting links, it would have be diiEcult to believe that this was the same species as our grey southern insect. On the Irish coast very large grey specimens occur, having also a peculiar appear- ance, and in some places there is a dwarf uuicolorous grey race, but all seem to be united by intermediate variations in .size and colour. The size seems to depend in some measure on the food-plant, the, smallest form being found among Lotus corniculatus, where there is' no furze, while there are some indication that colour is also affected by the same cause, the brighter varieties being found frequently among Genista anglica, Spartium scoparium, and Lotus. To add to the confusion of synonyms in which this species is involved, the common grey form has been described by M. Constant (Ann. Soc. Ent. France, 1S65) under the name of micaceana. Speci- mens sent me by Mr. E. L Eagonot agree precisely with our insect. GrapTiolita hypericana, Hiibn. Grapholita viodestana, "Wilk. — {eemulana, Schl.), already noticed in the genus Catoptria (Ent. Mo. Mag., Vol. x, p. 8). CrrapJioIifa microgrammana, Grn. — Zeller says this flies among Ononis. It is still scai'ce in this country, but has been taken in Ireland by Mr. Birchall, at Folkestone, and a few specimens at Great Yarmouth on the sand-hills. Grapliolita Wimmerana, "Wilk. — This appears to be distinct from Wimmerana, Treitschke, which is described by him as greyish-fuscous with white markings, and figured by Ilerrich-Schaffer of an olive- brown with long white costal streaks, and a distinct white ocellus. It is probable that both authors refer to the same species, but certainly not to ours, which has borne the name. Under these circumstances, Mr. Doublcday, in the last Supplement to his List, substituted Mr. Dale's MS. name, maritimana, and in this I should have followed him, but, in examining some types of Continental Tortrices received from Prof. Zeller, I find that the paler specimens of our insect agree pre- cisely with t}^es of candiduJana, Nolck. This name must therefore be adopted, there being no figure or description published of mari- timana. Dale. •Wilkinson's description is so good tjiat nothing need be added to 1874.) 15 it, except that the colour ia not eo constant aa he represents, there being considerable variation in the depth of the drab clouds and fuscous markings. Some examples taken by Mr. Howard Vaughan arc nearly- white. It is very possible that this variety may have been called lac- teann, Tr., by Stephens ; but lacteana, as figured by Herrich-Schiiffer, has a blue-grey dorsal blotch edged with grey ; the wings also are broader than those of candidulana, K^olck. GraplwJita pupillana, Clerck. Qrapliolita citrana, Hiibn. — M. Jourdhcuille says " larva in the lowers of Artemesia campestris.''^ This is one of the species which still exist on the ancient sea-sands of Brandon (now twenty miles from the sea). It is very common there, and seems to frequent Achillea, millefolium. Splialeroptera icfericana, Haw. — Changed by Wocke to longana, Haw. This is Haworth's name for the ? , and occurs six pages earlier in his work than that of the ^ , hence the change. This, however, seems rather a severe stretch of the law of priority. (Tb he continuedj. Notes on captures of Coleoptera near Llangollen and Manchester. — During the past year, I found near Llangollen Lathrohium angusticoUe (under a stone on Griben Oernant) ; Telephorus unicolor and Juscus ; Balaninus villosus, hy beating; Opilus mollis under ash bark ; and a few Athous vittatus by sweeping ; and in the vicinity of Manchester, Choragus Sheppardi ; Ilaplocnemus nigricornis ; and a few Cis vestitus. — JoSEPn Chappell, 1, Naylar Street, Iluline, Manchester : 1th April, 1874. A Irood of white-ants (Termites) at Kew. — Some time since, the Museum attached to the Eoyal Gardens at Kew received a portion of the trunk of the tree (Trachylobium HornmannianumJ that produces the gum copal of East Africa. Quito recently, this was found to be infested by a colony of white-ants, and living specimens of the insect (winged and in various apterous forms) were exhibited by Mr. Jackson, the Curator, at the la.st meeting of tlie Linnean Society, and of the Scientific Com- mittee of the Royal Horticultural Society. Through the kindness of Mr. Jackson, I have been able to make a preliminary examination of the insect, and find it to bo a species (not yet identified by me) of the genus Calotermes of Ilagen. The winged examples (unexpanded) are somewhat over Imlf-an-inch in length. It would probably be difficult to find anywhere in this country conditions more favourable to the development of white-ants than exist at Kew, and no place in which their ravages (if a colony were to be established) would bo of greater consequence ; it is to be hoped, therefore, that every precaution will be taken to avoid such a contingency. At pro- IQ [June, sent, tlic wood is enclosed in a glass jar, so as to afford an opportunity of obserring the habits of the creatures, this being probably the first time that any species has been found alive in this country. In the south of France, two small indigenous species do considerable damage, and a small North American species (Termes flavipes) had at one time estabhshed itself in the hothouses of the gardens of Schimbrunn, at Vienna, iirincipally infesting the tubs in which plants were growing. I know not if it still exist there. I hope, hereafter, to give additional notes on this interesting subject, and to bo able to add the specific name of the species, if it be described. — R. McLachlan, Lewisham : loth May, ISV-l'. P.S. — Since the foregoing notes were written, I have made a more extended ex- amination of the insect, and think it to belong to an undeseribed species. It is allied to C. soUcIhs, Hagen, but is somewhat larger, darker in colour, and with a slightly different form of prothorax. The types of solidns are from childi-en's collection, with, unfortunately, no indication of locality. In his Monograph, Hagen, when de- scribing C. brevis, a species from Central and South America, speaks of two examples enclosed in copal. It seems to me scarcely probable that an American species should occur vuidcr such circumstances, and quite possible that these entombed individuals' may be identical specifically with those now bred from the wood of the copal tree, for C. brevis, although decidedly different, is yet allied, and a minute examination of insects enclosed in copal or amber is always attended by uncertainty. Two erroneous' names have been given for the Kew insect ; firstly that of Etdermes lateralis. Walker' {cf. Proc. Linn. Soc, May 7th, 1874), and E. nemoralis (cf. ' Nature,' No. 238, p. 57 ; probably a misprint, for there is no species of that name). — E. McL. : May 22iid, 1874. iVb^e on Aphelochirus cBstivalis. — A specimen of this very interesting and rare Hemipterous insect was taken in the Bathampton Wick river (near Bath) on the 17th September, 1868, by E. C. Broome, Esq., and is now in the Local Natural History Collection of the Bath Institution. It is in the same condition (with rudi- mentary hcmielytra, and destitute of wings) as the individual I took long ago at Eynsham. — J. O. Westwood, Oxford : May, 1874. Eupitheci) take very well both to Silene injlata and to maritima, and between the l-±th and 25th of August they retired into the soil prepared for them. The young larva when a quarter of an inch long is of a greenish-grey colour, and darker than it afterwards becomes ; at this time it has pale dorsal and sub-dorsal lines ; with a darker stripe along the spiracles, bounded above by a paler undulating line ; some faint darker marks along the back indicate the rudiments of the future dorsal design ; a pale stripe runs beneath the spii-acles, and the belly is darker greenish-grey. At its next moult, when about three-eighths of an inch long, the ground colour is cither a pale drab or pale ochreous-yellow with the design of dark grey or blackish diamond shapes and spots on the back tolerably distinct ; and, when it has attained the length of about three-quarters of an inch, the wliole pattern of its mai'kings is (as usual) more clearly defined than at any other period, com- posed as they are of closely aggregated greyish or blackish atoms, which, as the larva grows, become more dispersed with increasing intervals of the ground coloui- between them ; but in this clearly defined stage of marking the ground colour is ycUowish- ochreous, the dorsal pattern consists of a somewhat ovate blackish spot at the beginning, followed by a diamond or pear-shape extending to the end of each seg- ment ; the front half of each of these pears or diamonds is rather bare of freckles within its outline, showing the ground colour there more or less, while the hinder part is fdlcd up so as to look blackish, the anterior pairs of tubercular black dots show distinct on the clear unfrecklcd ground of the back, the hinder pairs of dots are often attached to the lateral angles of the diamond shapes, but not invariably 60, though tlu-y arc always touched by a blackish line of freckles that curves or festoons along from the hinder dot of one segment (o the hinder dot of the next ; beneath this is the sub-dorsal intci-val of clear and paler ground colour ; and then come two broad and irrcgidarly thickened stripes of freckles, which about the middle of each segment slope towards each other till they touch, then returning to their previous level ; the groiuid in the space just below the point of contiicl in (ilUd with firekles wliieli i>arti} surnuuid (lie white spiracle outlined with liiiiek. 18 [June, Tlie larva, when full-grown, measures one and u quarter inches in length, is of moderate stoutness, cylindrieal, with the head a trifle smaller than the second seg- ment, which is in turn a little less than the third, the anal segment tapering a little behind : its ground colour now is pale ochreous or pale brownish-ochreous, the head is delicately freckled and streaked with dark brown down the front of each lobe, the second segment has ,a dark brown or brownish-grey plate through which the fine dorsal and broader sub-dorsal lines of ground colour are risible ; on the rest the dorsal line can be faintly discerned as a fine tliread of ground colour running through the dorsal blackish spots and ill defined pear-shapes that follow them, both front and hind pair of black dots are now equally distinct on the back of each segment, a similar dot is situated a little above each spiracle, which last is whitish faintly out- lined with black ; a patch of dark grey or blackish freckles anteriorly in the sub-dorsal region, and some broken patches of lines of freckles extending in curves to the spiracidar region on each segment are now the only remains of the design mentioned in the previous stage ; this change having been brought about by the scattering ol the dark atoms which before were confined in lines ; the belly and legs are of the gromid coloiu'. As will be seen from what follows, there is considei-able resemblance between this larva and some of its congeners, but to my eye its most striking characteristic is the absence of the slanting streaks or chevrons which tJiet/ so generally have. The pupa is little more than five-eighths of an inch long, stout in proportion, the wing, antennse, and trunk cases projecting in a blunt point over the abdomen, which tapers off gradually ; the abdominal rings are partly gi-auulous ; the colour of the thorax and wing cases is deep reddish-brown, the abdomen dark brown. M. Quen^e has observed of the larva of albimacula that " in a manner it i-e- " sembles that of capsincola, and when they are together on the same plant they " afford fine exercise for the eyes to distinguish them." " It is found upon Silene nutans, and sometimes, but much more i-arely, on " Silene inflata. In captivity it accommodates itself well to these two plants, also " to Lychnis dioica." " This caterpillar is not rare where Silene nutans grow, that is to say in the arid " and hilly places of certain woods." — Wm. Bucklee, Emsworth : Mai/ 11th, 1874. Cosmopteryx Scribaiella bred. — Professor Frey of Zurich, writes to me that on the morning of the 25th April, he bred nine specimens of C. Scribaiella ! Last September he had suggested to Herr Boll of Bremgarten, that he should search the reeds (Arundo phragmites) in that neighbourhood for the chance of finding larva) of Cosmopteryx Lienigiella. Herr Boll found some mines in September, and thereby Professor Frey was himself attracted to Bremgarten ; and he and Herr Boll, early in October, found these mines on the reeds very common along the banks of the Eeuss, and they could have collected them by hundreds in a day. Being, however, firmly convinced they were only collecting the already well-known larva of C. Lienigiella, they soon desisted from collecting more, and now C. Scribaiella has been bred from these reed-miners. Descriptions of this insect will be found in the Stettin. Entomolog. Zeitung, 1850, p. 197 ; in Herrich-Schiiffer, V. p. 281, fig. 998 ; in tlie Transactions of the Entomological Society of London, 3rd Scries, Vol. I. pp. 612, 6-io, and G51. It will 1874.] 19 be sufRciont hero to rcniiiul the reader that in Scrihaiella the ground coloxir of the anterior wings is brown, witli three slender longitudinal silvery streaks in the basal portion of the wing (in that respect resembling LleniijiellaJ, and that the outer margin of tlie dark yellow central fascia is ruptured a little above the middle of the wing, and the orange-yellow colour protrudes through it. It was only on the 2nd of April this year, that I received, through IM. Kagonot, a specimen of this insect for determination, which he had fouud among some incog- nita captured by M. Constant, of Autun, and the sight of this led me to hope that ere long the larva would be discovered, but I little expected I should record its dis- covery so soon. — n. T. Staixton, Mountsfield, Lcwisham ; May Gth, 1874. Eudorea coarctalis hihernating. — Is it generally known that the ILudorecB hibernate ? On the 20th of April I took two spccira_cns of this species on Farrington moss near here ; this is an August species with us. May not the Crambus ocellea that have been taken near Liverpool during the early months of the year have hiber- nated, and ought to have been looked for in August or September ? I ought to add that the hibernated coarctalis were females. — J. ]3. IIodg kinson, Preston : 3Iay, 1874. JEarly appearance of Catoptria aspidiscana, Sfc. — The very hot weather preceding the 2nd of May, tempted me to pay a visit to my old hunting grounds at Grange- ovcr-Sands and Withcrslack. The day, with a cold wind from the north, was not a very likely one for captures ; however, in a snug sheltered corner with a fair amount of sun, I made a tolerably good bag of wood whites, brimstones, speckled woods, duke fritillaries, argiolus blues, and orange tips, and saw three of the common whites quite busy enjoying the warmth. As I was eagerly watching for some small fry to appear, up crept two moths out of the roots of the golden rod at my feet ; I netted both at once — two asp)idiscana, both males. I walked up and down for four hours, and took five more males and one female in beautifid condition. I may here note they are not to be trusted long in a piU box without damaging themselves, so I chloroformed them at once, and pinned them. There was nothing else of note out. P. Letoenhoeclcella, DicrorampJia plumlana, a few Litho- colleles, also Cemiostoma laliunieUa, and an Elachisla, which must be a new one : it is certainly not nigrclla, the antennae are so thick, and the wings arc covered with thicker scales than any of the others that I know. In the same place I got some Coleophora cases which are quite new to me, not unlike or vviihcrhctviQcn i-iminetella and nigricella ; much larger than the latter. I expect they will bo or&e7nella,and some young S. siynatana larva), and some T. J'erhueUellaoS. the ferns closed up my journeying. I may except Nola cristulalis, which, as usual, was sitting head downwards. I never saw this earlier than 20th May. — Id. 20 [June, Dbituarg. Dr. Herrich-Schdffer. — We announced •with great regret on the wrapper of our last number the death of Dr. Gottlieb August Herrich-SchafEer, of Eatisbon, on the 14th April. Dr. Ilerrich-Schaffer was born in 1799, and till 1871 retained all the activity of a younger man ; but in that year he had two paralytic strokes, from the effects of which ho never thoroiighly rallied, and latterly, he had been afflicted with softening of the brain, and his case had been for some time considered perfectly hopeless. Dr. ncrrich-Schiiffer was an hereditary entomologist ; his grandfather. Dr. J. C. Schiiffer was a voluminous writer on insects from 1752 to 1779, and is perhaps best known by his " Icones Insectorum circa Eatisbonam," a quarto work with one hundred and eighty coloured plates. Dr. J. C. Schiiffer's son, the father of Hcrrich-Schiiffer, contributed fifty pages on " Insecta " to a medical work on Eatisbon, and thus just obtained a place in Hagen's Bibliography ; but the labours of the grandfather were quite eclipsed by those of the grandson whose loss we now deplore. Herrich-Schilffcr, bom in 1799, obtained his Doctor's degree in 1821, and in the same year appeared his first entomological publication, " De generatione insectorum partibusquc ei inservientibus," and eight years later we find him occupied with a continuation of Panzer's " Faima insectorum Germanise," which continued to appear till 1841'. In 1836, he commenced a continuation of Hahn's " Wanzenartigen Insectcn," which continued till 1853. His great work was, however, the " Systematische Bear- beitung der Schmcttcrlinge von Europa," intended as a supplement and completion of Hiibner's " Samralung curopaisehcr Schmettcrlinge." This work, commenced in 1843 and continued to 1856, is in six volumes quarto, with six hundred and seventy- two plates, of which six hundred and thirty-six are coloured. It is a real monument of labour and industry. From the year 1847 forwai-ds, he was a very frequent writer in the " Correspondenzblatt des zoologisch mineralogisch Vercins in Ecgensburg." In 18G1 he started a monthly periodical exclusively for entomology, " Correspondenz- blatt fiir Sammlcr von Insccten insbcsondcre von Schmetterlingen," and of this he wrote nearly the whole. In addition to all his literary productions, he was a keen practical collector, and made frequent visits to the Swiss Alps, aud rarely failed to attend the annual meetings of German Naturalists. In Eatisbon he was in busy practice as a Physician, and in 1871, on the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth Anniversary (Jubilee) of his obtaining his Doctor's degree, he was presented with the freedom of his native city. Dr. Herrich-SchiilTcr visited England in 1851, attracted hither by the fame of the Great Exhibition. Thomas John Bold. — It is with the most sincere regret that we chronicle tlic loss of this well-known British entomologist, who died, after a short ailment, at his residence, Long Benton, near Newcastlc-on-Tync, on the 5th ult., in the 58th year of his age. He died ux harness (though labouring for more than seven years under 1874.1 21 paraljsif, which doprivcd him of the power of locomotion), being actually engaged at tlio time of his decease upon a catalogue of the TenthredinidcB of the Nortluunbrian district, and having published some observations in this Magazine so late as the 7th IVIarch last. As an entomologist, his name is familiar to those of the present and last generations (with all genuine workers of which he corresponded), since he never ceased from the task of recording and elucidating the insect-fauna of his district for tliirty years before his death, and his notes on the habits, &c., of insects of all orders arc scattered over the pages of the Transactions of the Local Societies to which he belonged, of the " Zoologist," and of this Magazine (in the latter, no less than fifty- six in number). The " Catalogue of the Insects of Northumberland and Durham, Coleoptera," piiblished by Mr. J. Hardy and himself in the Transactions of the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club, 1852, was, however, the first of the more important works with which his name will be connected, and which are not the least valuable of the services which that Society (perhaps the best of all British Local Associations) has rendered to practical science. Mr. Bold from time to time in 1864, 1865, and 1867, published various corrections and additions to this list, and finally, in 1871, in the Natural History Transactions of Northumberland and Durham, Vol. iv, entirely reconstructed it ; following it up with a similar catalogue of the iremiptera-Hete- roptera of the district, and a list of the JLomoptera new- to Northumberland. lie also carefully investigated the Heterogyna, Fossores, and Anthophila of the same district, and was collecting literary and other materials for a similar elaboration of the IchneuvionidcB. Although not a descriptive Naturalist (only two species founded by him occur to us : Macrocoleus Ilardyi in Ilemiptera, and Scymnus lividus in ColeopteraJ, we are practically indebted to him for the addition to the British fauna list of Pompilus melanarius, Passaloecus monilicornis, and Strongylogaster jilicis (Hymenoplera), and Anchomenus 4-punctatus, Bemhidiiim Fockii, A-signatitm, ohliqitum, and ScJiitppelli, Ilalipliis rariits, Colymbetes dispar, Phytosiis nigriventris (balticusj, Aleochara villosa, Tachyusacarhonaria, Mycetoponts lo7igtcIits, Bryoporns castaneiis (practically a new species), Platystethus capita, Meligethes hrunnicornis, Cryptophagus ladius,fumatus, dentatus, and validus, Ephistemus glohosiis, Anom- matiis \2-striatiis, Aphodius foelidtis, and Plaps mortisaga (ColeopteraJ . Mr. Bold was born near Tanficld, Durham, in September, 1816, and from his 18th year resided in or near Newcastle, being engaged in the seed trade. In retire- ment, he taught himself French, Latin, and German enough for entomological purposes, and gradually acquired a working library of works in those languages. He was indcfatigably industrious, of a generous disposition, ever ready to assist others, and incapa])le of enduring a " sham," or the appearance of insincerity. The work of a local faunist, humble enough in cdmparison with higher aims, was never- theless ennobled by him, for he did it with his whole heart, and did it well : nor was his genuine worth unnoticed in his own country, for he was Vice-President of the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club, Associate and Honorary Entomological Curator of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, &c., and Honorary Member of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle. It is to be hoped that those Associations may find a successor able and willing to complete the work he had so well carried on, and so nearly completed. 22 bfune, NOTES ON CTCINDELIBJE AND CARABIDM, AND DESCRIPTIONS OP NEW SPECIES (No. 17). (Resumed from vol. ix, p. 52.J BY H. W. BATES, F.L.S., &c. Sub-family CARABiNiE. Nebria Lewist, s^-). n. N. lividce (L.) affinis, at minor et gracilior. I]Jongato-obJon(ja, ochraceo-fulva ; collo, thoracis disco, plagaque magna elytroriim discoi- dali commnni, ct jyectore, nigris ; tJioraceIo7igius cordato, angulis posticis jiroductis, acutis ; elytris iaterstitio tertio impunctato, quartoque apice valde elcvato. Long. 5^ lin. Smaller and more slender than N. livida ; in colour it differs in tlie liead having only the broad neck, up to the posterior margin of the eyes, black ; in the thorax having its whole central part of the same colour, leaving the lateral borders pale ; and in the elytra being pale, with a large rounded black patch behind the middle, continued some- times along the suture to the base. The thorax differs in form in being longer and less transverse, with the posterior narrowing much more gradual, and the huid angles more turned outwards ; the borders are punctured in a similar way. The elytra are quite parallel, and vnth shoulders quite as well marked as in iV. livida, but the striae are finer and more sharply scored, finely punctulate in their bottom, and the inter- stices show no punctuation. Beneath black, with the apical part of the abdomen tawny. Kawatclii, Japan. Sent home by Mr. Gr. Lewis's native collector. Nebria elliptipejwis, sp. n. N. intricatcB qffinis, srd magis elongata, elytris clongato-eVipticis sericeo-opacis, striis vix punctulatis. Elongata, piceo-nigra ; capite ut in N. intricata, sod oculis 2)fiilo minus p)^'0')ninulis ; thorace cordato, postice gradatim angustato, aiigiilis posticis retrorsiim spectantihus ; elytris sericeo-opacis, humeris fortiter rotundatis, medio parallel is, supra striatis, striis vix punctulatis. Long. 7 lin. ? . Nearest resembling iV. intricata, at least in the form of the head and thorax, but the elytra more elongated, with much rounder or more effaced shoulders and wilh stri;r almost simple, a fine punctu- ation shoAving only under the lens. The colour is black, rufescent pitchy beneath, and with sub-opaque silky elytra. The head has a red spot on the crown, and is punctulate and rugulose ; the eyes are moderately prominent, and the neck is not narrowed. The palpi arc 1874.J 23 pitchy-red. The thorax is rather more cordate than in JST. intricata ; the anterior angles are moderately produced and acute ; the posterior angles are not at all turned outwards, but arc prolonged posteriorly, so that the base appears strongly quadrate-emarginate. The elytra arc elliptical rather than oblong, and are not dilated posteriorly ; the interstices arc very slightly convex, the third having three punctures, and the fourth is cariuated at the apex. Kurdistan. I have failed to find any description by Falderman, Chaudoir, Fischer and others, that applies in any degree to this species. Nebkia crassiceps, sp. n. ]\Iagna, elongato-ohlonr/a, deprcssa, ni(jrn, suhsericea ; cnp)itemngno, exserfo, collo crasso, convexo, oculis ^jrt/v/.s', haud prominulis ; thorace transvcrso, postice fortiter slnuatim an(just(tto, aiKjuUs omnibus acuiis ; elytris punctulato-striatis, hiimeris obtusia. Long. 9 I'm. Allied to N. Marchalli, the head and thorax being of similar form ; but the general form is more elongate and oblong, with perfectly oblong elytra, and the colour is black. The head is large, and very long and thick behind, with small flattened eyes ; and its surface is very finely punctulated. The thorax is much shorter and broader than in iV. Marchalli ; the anterior angles are remarkably produced, almost as much as in N. dilatata ; from the middle, the sides are strongly sinuate-angustate, with out-turned and acute posterior angles and nearly straightly truncated base ; the lateral margins are broadly explanate, with the marginal rims thick and raised. The elytra are oblong, quite parallel, from the obtuse but distinct shoulders to near the apex, and distinctly punctate-striated ; there arc no distinct punc- tures on the third interstice, and tlio fourth is not carinated at the apex. Kurdistan. Sub-family Ozjexinje. OziENA MAGNA, Sp. n. Maxivie elongata, anrjuste jynrallelor/rammicn, nigra^ nilidn ; antcn- nis hrevihus, crassis, sub-comprcssis, nudis, nitidis, grossc j^unctatis, articulis 7-10 intus fovea, ll'"" marginibas, minute 2>orosi>i ; ihornce paulo transversa, rpiadralo, postice sinuatim paulo anrjuslali), nngulis poslicis fere rectis,supr!^i cum capite sp)arsim punctato ; clglrisovuiino parallclis, fortitcr punctulato-striatis, interstitiis omnibus sparsim 2)tinctulatis ; femorihus anticis ( ^ ) haud dcntutis. Long. 9i tin. ? . 1 place this and the following species in the restricted genus 2-j. [June, 1S74. Ozccna, almost solely ou account of the naked antenna; ; in tlie length of these organs they differ much from Ozcena, as defined by Baron Chaudoir, the proportion being scarcely one-third the length of the body, whereas in Ozcena it is more than one-half. The absence of the usual porosity of the antennal joints (from the 5th to the 11th) seems to me a much more important character, and in this they agree with O. dentipes, and differ from all other genera of the group. O. magna also has a pencil of hairs on the back of the maxillae near the tip, which does not exist in Pacliijletes. The palpi are short and thick, with the apical joints dilated. The porosity of the antennae exists in O. magna in a very concentrated state, being confined to a very small pit on each surface of the 7th to the 10th antennal joints near their compressed inner edge, and to the bevelled margins of the large ovate terminal joint. The whole insect is deep glossy -black ; the head and thorax sprinkled with fine distinct punctures, and the latter also transversely wrinkled. The form of the thorax is transverse cordate-quadrate, with the lateral sinuation well marked, and the hind angles turned outwards, but not acute, being scarcely rectangular. The eyes are very prominent, and the head narrowed to a nock almost immediately behind them. Sao Paulo de Olivenca ; Upper Amazons. One example, which flew at night to a light in my chamber. OziENA BEEVICOENIS, Sp. n. Aiiguste parallelogrammica, elongata, nigra, nitida ; antennis brcvi- lics, crassis, glahris, punctatis, articulis G-10 hrevissimis et latissimis, Q-IO foveis 11 viargine, porosis ; tliorace transversim quadrato-cordato, postice liaud sinnato, angulis ohtiisis, haud prominulis ; elytris fort iter punctulato-sfriatis, interstitiis omnihus sp>arsissime punctulatis. Long. 8 lin. $ . Differs from O. magna in the antenna> being shorter, and the joints 6 to 10 much broader and shorter. The thorax also differs in the hind angles not being recurved outwards, nor preceded by a sinu- ation of the sides. The thorax and the interstices of the elytra have fewer fine punctures. Peru ; one example. The above-described species are further distinguished from Pachyteles, Seythropasus, &c., by the simple large cmargiuation of the anterior tibia?, without projecting upper lobe or tooth, and by the pi'osence of a narrow grooved mcsosternum between the middle coxa% the-mctasteruum projecting in a very loyg nari'ow process. July, 1874] 2.') Paciiyteles setifer, sj). n. P. fiJifonni proxime ajfinis^ at elyfris triscriativi sctosis differt. EJongatus, linearis, castanco-fuscus, anfcnnis hasi, oris i^firtibus thora- cisqiic mcirgine 7'iifo-castaneis ; pedihus, sutura margine(pce elj/trorum paitJo 2)(iUidioribus ; clj/tris iitrinque scfis lonrjis in scrichus trihus ordinatis. Long. 5^ Un. Of the same narrow linear form as P.JiJi/ormis, Casteln. Head and antenna^ of similar form and proportions ; thorax quadrate, slightly narrowed behind, but without the sinuation visible in P.JiUformis, the narrowing being straight to the tip of the hind angles, which project beyond the basal line of the thorax ; the sides anteriorly bear a number of setigerous punctures : the surface is faintly wrinkled. The elytra have extremely fine puctnlate stria?, and the 1st, 3rd, and 5th interstices bear each a lino of very long erect hairs, which are particularly numerous on the 3rd, reaching from base to apex. Macas ; Equador (Mr. Buckley). Pachtteles oos^iadeeus, sp. n. Ohlongiis, fulvus, nitidus ; tliorace lata, postice valde ayigustato, angulis a7iticis longe producfis, acutis, posticis rectis, lafcrihus late ex- 2)lanatis ; elytris striatis, interstitiis alternis convexis te?'tio et qtiinto 2)unctatis, ccitcris Iccvihus. Long. 4 Jin. In general form much resembling P. Icevigatus, Dej. The thorax is very similar, differing chiefly in the much more produced anterior angles, which are a little turned outwards. The fine puuctulated striae of the elytra are nearly the same, but owing to the strong elevation of many of the interstices, they seem much more deeply sunk, and on the sides (which are sericeous-opaque) they are irregular. The anteunte are decidedly longer, owing to the more oblong form of its joints. Ega. Paciiyteles r^^DULATUs, sp. n. Ohlongiis, tfisfacro-riij'us, nitidus, eh/tris disco fuscis ; tlioracfi trans- rfvso, rnigi/lis anticis producfis acufissimis, jyosticis acutis, latcrihus undulatis, suprci sjyarsim grossissime punctata ; eh/tris usque ad mar- ginefn grosse 2)U7ictato-striatis. Long. 3 lin. Differs from P. goniadrrus by the largo punctures sparingly scattered over the otherwise glossy, smooth thorax, and by the undu- lated lateral edges, wiiich form at irregular intervals distinct angles; the edge is markedly sinuated close behind the sharp anterior angles ; 26 r.iuiy, the posterior angles are also sharp and project a little outwards, the hind margin being straight. The elytra are rather strongly punctate- striate, even to the lateral margins, where there is no smooth sub- opaque space ; most of the interstices are convex, and the third has a row of fine setiferous punctures. Ega. Pachtteles FuscuLirs, sp. n. Castaneo-fuscus, suh-nitidiis ; capife angusHore., ocnJis parum promi- nulis ; thornce transverso, cordato, angulis anticis rectis, posticis aciitis, supra transversim strigoso ; eh/trisfortiter punctulato-striatis, interstitiis p^us minusve pu7ictatis, striis apud latera confusis. Long. 3| lin. Differs from P. Icevigatus, granulatus, and allies, by the less prominent eyes, in which it exactly resembles P. margimcollis of Chili. The general colour is uniform chestnut-brown, the elytra having no trace of other colour ; but the head is blacker and the legs redder. The anterior angles of the thorax are not in the slightest produced, but they form a very pronounced rectangle. Nearly all the interstices of the elytra have a row of conspicuous punctures. Ega ; Amazons. Pachtteles Tapajo>'us, sj). n. P. Icevigato (Dej.) jyroxitne ajffinis, dijfert solum thorace Jatiori, elytrisque fortius punctulaio-striatis. Long. 2>\ lin. Of the same oblong foi*m as P. Icevigatus. Chestnut-red ; head behind blackish, disc of each elytron dusky-brown. Thorax transverse, quadrate-cordate, anterior angles very slightly prominent, sides slightly incurved behind them, thence rotundate-dilated (slightly undulated), behind rather strongly sinuate-angustate, hind angles rectangular ; disc smooth. Elytra with well marked punctulate striae, interstices slightly convex, 3rd and 5th with a few fine setiferous punctures, sides sericeous-opaque. The antenna) are moderately short and thick, as in P. Icevigatus. R. Tapajos ; Amazona. Pacuyteles Perutiaxus, sp. n. P. Icevigato simillimus, at paitlo anguslior et ohscurior, eli/tris dislincte stricito-punct uhttis. Long. 3^ lin. The colour of the upper surface is chestnut-brown, with the head behind blacker, but the thorax not reddish as in P. loBvigatus and P. Tttpdjoiivs ; the elytra too liave not the distiiu't reddish sutural 1S74.] 27 bonier, the extreme sutural margin only being ratlier pale. The head and antenna) show no difference from P. hrvigntiis. The thorax al^o is precisely similar, being quadrate-cordate, ■with sharp anterior and posterior angles, the former veiy slightly produced with a sinuation in the sides behind them. The elytra arc narrower, and more parallel ; witli rows of fine punctures, not distinctly impressed in stri;p, and interstices perfectly plane and not so glossy as in P. Iceingatus ; the 3rd and 5th interstices have a few inconspicuous punctures. E. Huallaga; Peru (Mr. Eartlett). PACnYTELES SULCIPENNIS, SJ). n. JP. grannJato ajjinis ; thoracs glahro grosse sparsim punctato differt. Gonvexus, castaneo-riifus, nifidus, capife posticefusco ; elyfris omnino profunde sulcatis, sidcis fundo punctulatis, interstitiis convexis nitidis, pleru7nque seriatim punctaf is. Long. 3i lin. The head, as in P. gramdatus, is strongly constricted behind the eyes ; the bottom of the constriction is rugose, and the convex middle of the forehead smooth. The thorax is transverse-quadrate, not so much narrowed behind as in P. IcBvigatus and allies ; all the angles nearly rectangular, the sides slightly sinuated behind the anterior angles, and their edges undulated; the surface is sprinkled throughout with large round punctures. The sulci of the elytra are deep even on the sides and up to the wheal at tlic apex of the elytra ; their punctu- ation crenulates the sides ; but the summits of the interstices are glossy and smooth, with a row of punctures on most of them. Ega. This species must be nearly allied to P. distinctus (Chaud.), but that is described as having the thorax " ad latera tantum nonuihil punctatus." Paciitteles aspericollis, sp. n. Elongdto-ohlongus, caslaneo-rufus, elytris nigris poJitis ; capite et thoracc elytris plus qunm dimidio angusliorihus, densissime scahrosis opacis, hoc laterihus muUidentatis ; elglris punctidato-stritttis, inter- s/i/iis platiis. Long. ',i\ lin. A remarkable species, somewhat resembling P. gramdatus in the sculpture, but not in the form of the thorax, which is narrow, sub- cordate, narrowed only near the base; its anlerior angles are nuich produced forward and acute, its sides are scarcely rounded and dilated, and present a scries of three or four dentiform projections with corresponding sharp notches, and the whole surface is densely sculptured and clothed with ereci h.'iirs. The head is s^imiljirly sculptured From 28 ^f"'?"- the neck to the epistome, and the usual depressions are not visible. The antenna? are moderately short and densely setose. The elytra are glabrous and shining, with regular punctulate stria;, and perfectly plane interstices, the 3rd and 5th of which have a row of minute setiferous punctures. The anterior thighs have a strong broad tooth beneath. Tunantins ; Upper Amazons. Pachtteles fulighs-elltjs, sp. n. P. GyUenliaJii (Dej.) proxime ajjinis. Omnino fuligineo-niger, hreviter setosus ; thorace quadrato, basin versus paruvi sinuatim angus- tato, angnlis ant ids acufis, postieis recti's; elytris punctulato-striatis, intcrstitlis flcrumque convexis. Long. 2\ lin. Differs from P. GyJlcnhaUi almost solely in the sooty-black colour of its whole upper-surface and limbs ; the under-surface being rufo- piceous. Above, the body is covered with short erect setse implanted in fine punctures. The head has a few large scattered punctures. The thorax has extremely narrow lateral margins and is very little rounded anteriorly, and narrowed only very near the hind augles. The elytra have the punctured sti'ise more deeply sunk, or, rather, the iustertices more convex. Chontales, Nicaragua. Bartholomew Road, Kentish Town, N.W. : May, 187'A. NOTES ON BRITISH TORTRICJBS. BY C. G. BAEEETT. {continued from p. 15). Cnephasia cinctann, Schiff. — Dr. "VVocke removes this from the CnephasiiJa', placing it in the genus LopJioderus, near to ministrana, L. Cnephasia Tiyhridana, Hiibn. — Heincmann seems to have fallen into an error here, in wliich Prof. Zeller is inclined to follow him. They both refer our Jiylridana to allulana, Tr., and call a closely allied Btraw coloured species Jiybridafia. Iliibner does not confirm this, as his figure of hyhridana represents a grey example of our insect. Moreover, Dr. Wocke quotes mrvifascia^ia and rectifasciann of Ilaworth and Stephens as synonyms of hyhridana, lliibn., and they are without doubt the ^ and ? of our species. This has been confirmed by M. Guenec, to whom Mr. Doubleday sent specimens. AVotke removes hyhridana into the genus OJindia (with rihnana). 1874.] Of) autl make3 albuhtnn, Tr., a variety of it. If this be correct, the varia- tion is verj extraordinary. The other species of the genus Cnephasia (witli the exception perhaps of nuhilana) are bo deeply involved in difficulty from the extraordinary manner in which they appear to run into one another, and the extreme difficulty of deciding which are species and which merely local vai'ieties, that I think it best to defer any detailed notice of them for the present, in the hope that some satisfactory conclusions may be arrived at in the future. Of this there is the greatest probability, since the investigations of Dr. Ottmar Hoffman (translated by j\Ir. Stainton in the Eut. Ann., 1873, p. 50) seem to point to reliable structural characters separating the species. It is satisfactory to find that, as far as they have gone, his observations seem to confirm the distinctness of the most puzzling allied species, and to condemn Dr. Wocke's method of getting through the difficulty by putting most of them together under the name of Wahlhomiana, Linn. As Mr. Doubleday has added this name and that of ahrasana, Dup., to the latest Supplement to his List, it may be well to say that Wahlbomiana appears, as far as I can judge, to be the longer winged form, common on some parts of the coast as well as occasionally inland, which has hitherto been placed with suhjectana or virgaureana, or called incorrectly by the name oi pasivana, Hiibn. Ahrasana, Dup., is a nearly unicolorous pale grey insect larger and paler than nuhilana. Ablahia pratana, Iliibn. — AVocke substitutes osseana, Scop., as an earlier name. In this family Dr. Wocke places two rather anomalous species which are not iiu-luded by Wilkinson in his work: Tortricotlfs Jii/emana, lib., which he changes to tortricclla, Iliibner's earlier name for the $ ; and Exapate gelatella, Linn., which ho changes to congelatella, Clerck. Eucliromia arhufclla, Linn. Eucliromia fulvipunctana, Haw. — Corrected by Mr. Doubleday in his List to Jlammcana, Frol., but now again altei'ed by him, as well as by Dr. Wocke, to Mijgindana, Schiff., a still earlier name. Euchromia purjiurana, Haw. — Dr. Wocke sinks this species as a variety of riifana, Scop., but I am decidedly of opinion that they are distinct, the fore-wings in this species being narrower in proportion to their length than in rufann. Mr. Doubleday in the last Sup[)lement to his List adopts this view. 3>» [J"iJ-- Euchromia rufana, Scop. — liecorded as British, but not described, in the Ent. Ann., 1864, p. 126, having been taken rather freely by Mr. Hodgkinsou in Cumberland. I append a short description. Alar. exp. 8 lines. Head and thorax reddish ; palpi paler ; antenna dark grej ; fore-wings greyish- brown entirely reticulated with dark crimson scales, which give the insect a reddish- brown ajjpearance ; hind-wings pale grey ; cilia whitish, with a grey line near the base. $ darker, tlie fore-wings being reticulated with olive-brown scales ; hind-wings dark grey. A variety of an olive-grey colour with reddish cilia seems not uncommon. Some time ago, Mr. Hodgkinson obligingly sent me a number of living specimens, which, from the arched costa and greater breadth of their fore-wings, had a very different appearance from inirpurana, which I used to find at Haslemere. EucTiromia ericetana, Westw. — Dr. Wocke sinks this name in favour of trifoliana, H.-S., the name by which it appears to be generally known in Germany, but this cannot stand, since Westwood's name is anterior, and is accompanied by a recognizable description. It cannot be admitted even on the ground that there is another ericetana in Wocke's genus Sfeganoptyclia, since that also is a name of later date. Ericetana, Westw., must therefore be retained for this species. Eucli7'omia striana, Schiff. Euchromia Branderiana, Linn. — M. Jourdheuille in his Calendar says that the larva feeds between leaves of aspen. Orthotcsnia antiquana, Hiibn. — Prof. Zeller says the larva feeds in the roots of Stacliys palustris. Sericoris conchana, Iliibn. — Dr. Wocke alters this to rivulana, Scop., which is certainly a much earlier name. Sericoris lacunana, Dup. — Of this species, beautiful varieties occur in the fens of Norfolk, and they arc noticed by AVilkiiison in a note at the end of the genus (p. 275), where he says that they are dark cinereous or smoky-black. This is correct of some specimens, but others are coaZ-black with the markings indicated by lustrous leaden lines. I have reared these dark varieties along with the typical form from screwed-up leaves of Sjiircea ulmnria. They have been erro- neously placed, as A\^ilkiu8on says, in some collections under the name of herhann. _ I874.J .31 Sericoris Iicrbana, Gn. — lucidi'iitallj noticed by Wilkinson (p. 275), but not dcfii'i'ibcd. Introduced ])y Mr. Uoubleday into bis List from specimens named for him by M. Gueuee. One of these speci- mens, by Mr. Doubleday's kindness, I have had an opportunity of examining, and am convinced that it is merely a variety of lacunana. Guenee says " It appears at first sight allied to, or simply a variety of, *■ cespifana ; certainly more nearly allied to lacunana, and particularly " distinguished from it by the pale colour of the under-side of the " hinder part of the ^\ings. The hinder wings are white beneath, " sprinkled with dark colour at the apex. " Taken in grassy places on the coast of Brittany." Now, this whitish colour of the under-side of the wings is utterly unreliable as a specific character, but is i*ather a peculiar form of variation in this genus, seeing that it occurs frequently in typical Iacuna)ia, as well as in rivulana, urticana, and micana. It would be pi-esumptuous to Bay, without further information, that M. Gueuce has not discovered a species in France distinct from lacunana, to which he has given this name, but I do not think that we have it in this country. Sericoris rupestrana, Dup. ? — Recorded as British, but hardly described, in the Ent. xlnn., 18G0, p. 1G5. Said to be common on moors in the north of England. This species has, however, been introduced into our lists in error, and for this error, my friend Prof. Zcller seems to be primarily responsible, since he sent, some years ago, a specimen agreeing precisely with our insect, under that name. He has since, however, received the true rupestrana from A^ienna, and has sent me a specimen. It is a very pretty species allied to rivulana (conchann), but with narrower fore-wings and very neat markings. Its only known locality is ISoutheni (Germany. I am decidedly of opinion that the insects which have been placed in our collections under this name arc only dwarfed lacunana, but I give this opinion subject to correction, since Mr. Doul^leday is not yet fully satisfied aljcnit either this sijccies or hrrhana, and is incliiieJ to think that even another species is separable from lacunana in thiu country. Further investigation is therefore desirable. At any rate, it is certain that so far from being constant, as AVilkinson says, la- cunana is most varial)le in colour ;iiid in the (lislii)ctness of its markings. Sericoris urticana, Iliibn. {To tjc cunliniied). 32 L-'niy. ILLUSTRATIONS OF INSECT MONSTROSITIES. No. 1.— ON A MONSTROUS STAG BEETLE (LUCANUS ELAPRUSJ. BY PROF. J. O. WESTWOOD, M.A., F.L.S., &c. In sending to the Entomologist's Monthly Magazine the first of a proposed series of notices of monstrous insects, it may, perhaps, be thought advisable that I should offer a few preliminary observations on this class of specimens, and upon the classifications that have been founded upon them. By those persons who, like myself, believe in the permanence of species, of course, every individual which differs in a more or less marked manner from the normal condition and appearance of the species to which it belongs must, strictly speaking, be considered as a monster ; a term, however, which, in a scientific point of view, requires definition, since the amount of aberration from the specific type varies so greatly, that it has been proposed by some writers to restrict the term monster to those more important deviations by which the normal actions of the entire animal, or of some one or other of its organs, are materially affected. Hence all those instances which readily occur to the mind of the student, and which are ordinarily termed varieties, resulting from difference of size, shape or colour of markings, and even the outline of the wings, or the alteration in position of the veins, the greater or less amount of punctures, or other variation of the sculpture, must be necessarily excluded from a memoir on monsters. The question as to the real jDosition of certain varieties, which appear to assume a constant character, resulting either from variation in locality,* or times of appearancet has recently become one of much importance in i-eference to the possible formation of distinct local species. We must, consequently, restrict our attention to those more decided cases of organic deviation from the structure of the tpye of a given species, which result in an incapacity for the due performance of the general or special functions of the individual, or of its special organs. It would be tedious to detail the systems of classification of monsters which have been, from time to time, proposed by Licetue, Iluber, Malacarne, Buffon, Ijlumenbach, Bonnet, Meckel, Breschet, Illiger, Isidore Geoffrey Saint Ilihiire (whose 'Histoire generale ct particuliere des Anomalies' is the great text work on the subject), or * Polyommatus Ariaxerxet, Solmacis, and Agcstis, niMy bo cited as an instance; a still more remarkalile instance is presented by the vaiicd forms of the females of Papilio Merope, in Mada- gascar and Africa, as proved by Mr. J. P. M. Weale (Trans. Eut. Soc. Lond., 1874, p. 131). t A remarkable instance of this "seasonal ]jolymorphism " occurs in Papilio A jax. •which, according to ilr. Edwards, aiipears in early spiing, under a tonn which has been termed P. H'alshii ; iu the late spring, as P. I'tlamoniJes ; and in summer and autumn, as P. Marcellus (Scuddcr, lu American Naturalist for May, ISTi}. , 1874.] 33 the more rcceut observations of Asmusa and Lacoi'daire (whose chissi- fication given in his 'Introduction a FEntomologie,' vol. ii, pp. 414 — 452, is founded chiefly on that of Saint Ilihiire). Setting also aside those monstrous hybrid creatures, which have resulted from the pairing of animals of distinct species, we find : — First, a series of monsters, in which the characters of the two ordinarily separate sexes are more or less distinctly to be traced. These are the gynandromorphous insects, which have the body most commonly divided into two distinctly sexual halves, one side being masculine, and the other femimine.J Secondlv, wehave a series of individuals with mis-shapen bodies or limbs, which have one or more of their organs of an unusual form or structure. These are the ' monstra per fabricam alienam ' of the German authors, and form the section of ' Vices de conformation ' of Lacordaire's system, and which are excluded by him from the real monsters. Thirdly, the monsters which want one or more of the organs of the species, and which are the 'monstra per defectum ' of the Germans or the ' monstres ectromeliens ' of the French writers. Fourthly, those individuals which have supplemental organs, or parts of organs, the ' monstra per excessum' of the Germans, and the ' monstres polymeliens ' of the French. Fifthly, those monsters which have two or more organs coalesced into one (monstres symeliens). Sixthly, monsters which have the body open along a portion of its length (monstres par scission). Seventhly, those insects which, in the imago, retain one or more of the organs of their preparatory states (' monstres par arret do de- veloppcmont '*). The ' Anomali£o magnitudinis ' of Meckel, and the ' MonslTa per colorem alienum ' of Asmuss, appear to belong to some of llie former groups — the gigantic or dwarfish condition of the animal being evi- dently a simple variation, the latter induced, in most cases, by in- Bufiicient food— whilst the different colouration of the opposite wings in Lepidopte7'a is often clearly the effect of gynaudromorphism. t A curious scriea of specimens, in which the additional sexual chanctcr occurs in only a hIpkIc or^'aii, or portiou of a single organ, is represented in one of the plutea of my ' Thesaurus Enluinulcigicus.' * In addition to the various Instances recorded, in which the head of the larva has been retained in the perfect state, a case has been recently recorded by Mr. liiitler, at the Meeting of the Kiitoniologicul Society of London, May 'Ith, IST'l. in whi.h llie rii,'ht wiuK's of the jicacock liiittcrfly, Vanfssa lo, were completely developed, whilst the left wings were umluveloped. the tail of the ciirysiili.s hiving become detached during the process of emerging, and the butterfly not possessing the power to get rid of the left side of the pupa case. Another iustanco has .also been recently recorded of a chrysalia of Pontia xipce found with the head caao covered with the head case of the larva Toujude, iu Bull. Soc. Eut. Franco [.^I, ii, p. Ixxxiii). 34 [July. The insect represented in the wood-cut is a stag beetle {Luccuius Elaphus, Fabr.), wbict was ob- tained by tbe late Mr. Eaddon, witb great numbers of other American insects, from skim- mings of turpentine barrels, in London. It is a common North American species, and is clearly referable to the Lucanus Elaphus of Fabricius, being a specimen of the ordinary full size, and (except in respect of the head), must be considered as a male judging from the structure of the legs, both of the anterior tibia) being long and narrow, and neither of them short and broad, as in the females of that species. There is some slight difference in the strength of the spines of the four posterior tibiae, the hind ones being destitute of the middle spines. Hence might arise the question whether the diminished size of the left-hand half of the head might not be due to an arrest of develop- ment, or to the importation into the specimen of so much of the female organization ; the extraordinary development of the right lialf of the head has necessitated a partial twisting of the neck, and the structure and punctuation of the left hand half of the head and left mandible is evidently that of the female, as well also as the shortened left antenna. A memoir by myself on this and some other gynandro- morphous insects was read at the Meeting of the Entomological Society on the Gth June, 1S3G, but it has remained hitherto unpublished, together with the figures with which it was illustrated. I find f I'om my notes that the Avings were wanting in IMr. Eaddon's specimen, thus indicating a certain deficiency of organization, and that, on examining the internal condition of the abdomen (so far as could be done in the dried condition of the specimen), no traces of the large male organ were to be found, a pair of terminal lobes, only such as are to be seen in a female stag beetle, being perceivable. Figures of the under-side of the head, and of the terminal segment of the abdomen, will be given in my next article. I regret not to be able to state what became of the specimen here figured at the sale of Mr. Eaddon's collection. i«>'othorace laterihus antice omnino immarr/inatis. rLong. Corp. 50 mm. ^ J, Laf. „ 23 mm. \,Long. antennariim JlaheUl (5 mm. (vLv) . r^Long. Corp. 51 mm. $ \ Laf. „ 24 mm. i^Lonr/. ant.flah. 5 mm. Clypcus in front strongly punctured, its lateral margins but little raised, the teeth formed by these moderately long and rather stout. Thorax not so long as broad (its length along the middle IG mm., its greatest breadth 19 mm.), its sculpture Tcry fine ; it has a fulvous spot at the exterior margin on each side, and the raised lateral margins are entirely wanting on its anterior half. The exposed portion of the scutellum is elongate and narrow. Shoulders fulvous. Elytra distinctly sinuate at the extremity, the sutural line dehiscent . towards the apex, the apical teeth rather stout. Under-surfaco metallic, the sides of the breast and abdomen with fulvous marks ; sides of the abdomen slightly punctured, but without any rugosities. Angle of the hind coxie produced into an acute spine. Mcsostoinuil process ratlicr long and narrow, not dilated at the extremity. Habitat, Silhet. This fine insect is remarkable amongst its allies from its large size and broad form, and may be distinguislied from the hitherto described species of Agcstrata by the fact that the side mai'gins of the thorax are quite wanting in the front part. The two specimens before me (cj& ? ) differ in the colour of their legs ; iu the male individual, the femora are reddish, with a brassy streak along the middle, while in the female the hiiul femora are entirely metallic, and tlie red mark;^ on the 36 [J^^.^. other femora are much reduced in size. The tibiae and tarsi are not in the least metallic, but are of a pitchy-red colour in the male, and nearly black in the female. Besides the two specimens in my collection, I have seen three others placed as an undescribed species in the collection of Count Mniszech, from the same locality. Though I have not examined these specimens critically, I have little doubt they belong to the species here described. Thornhill, Dumfries : Sth June, 1874. DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW LYCJENIDJE FROM WEST AFRICA. BT "NV. C. HEWITSOX, F.L.S. LiPTENA AnELaiTHA. Ujiper-side : ^ , dark brown, the fringe spotted with white. An- terior wing with a minute white spot near the middle of the costal margin. Under-side : dark brown. Both wings with numerous spots of white : both with a sub-marginal series of white spots. Exp., To inch. Hab., Gaboon (Rogers). LyCiENESTHES LtzANIUS. Ujiper-side : $ , dark brown, with several black spots and some indistinct white spots. Under-side : white. Both wings crossed by several brown bands : both with two sub-marginal bands of brown, the band nearest the margin narrow and indistinct. Posterior wing with two black spots, bordered above with orange near the anal angle. Exp., H inch. Ilab., Old Calabar. Oatlauds, Wcybridge : June, 1874. DESCRIPTIONS OF THREE NEW BUTTERFLIES FROM COSTA RICA. BT UEEBERT DEUCE, F.L.S., F.Z.S. Papilio Sadyattes, n. sp. ■Upper-side, $ , deep black. Anterior wing with a minute wliitc spot below the 1874.1 37 first median nervulc close to the cell. Posterior wiiig with three unequal, sub-ovate, scarlet, opalescent spots, placed in the niiddlo of the space between the discoidal and the firet, second, and third median nervulcs. Under-side brownish-black. Anterior wing with the white spot as above. Pos- terior wing with five pinkish-white spots between the nervulcs, the first two small, the fringe of both wings alternately white and black. Exp. 3 inch. Hub. Costa Rica. In coll. II. Drxice. Eeesta Coela, n. sp. Upper-side, $ . Anterior wing black, a triangular white spot divided info four by the nervurcs beyond the middle of the costal margin, a small spot between this and the apex, and a sub-marginal band of six white spots, the third minute ; a large round white spot close to the anal angle. Posterior wing rufous-orange, with the base and outer margin black, a sub-upical white spot, and a sub-marginal band of linear yellowish spots. Under-side, the same as above, except that all (he white marks are larger, and a yellow streak at the base of both wings, also a yellowish spot partly in the cell of the anterior wing. Exp. 2 inch. Ilab. Costa Rica. In coll. II. Drucc. Mesosemia Ceeopia, n. sp. Upper-side, '' obtained a clue to its habits ; and, by dint of much labour, was so fortunate as to secure a considerable number, from under large loose stones on the shore, just above high-tide mark. With them were a few "wire worms," evidently the larvse of this species, and (rarely) a reddish (but quite mature) variety. I am sorry to say that some of the specimens were abraded, the pubescence, so characteristic of the species when fresh, being exceedingly delicate and fugitive. Among other species from the same locality, I may mention Dromius vectensis, Eye, in flood-refuse ; Harpalus ruiyicola, undier stones ; Stenoloplms elegans, a fine series in flood-refuse, in April ; Achenium humile, not rare in flood-refuse and under stones ; Compsochilus palpalis, Er., a single example, by promiscuous sweeping, at the end of May ; Nitidula riijipes, a few in a dead bird ; Ulster nejlectus and hissexstriatus, Syncalypta hirsuta (all these three in great profusion) , and Sarrotrmm clavicorne, in flood-refuse ; Telmatophilus IrevicolUs and LimnicJius pygmcBiis, by casual sweeping ; typical Aphodiiis plagiatus, in flood-refuse ; Coeliodes exiguiis, common on Geranium dissecium ; Ceuthorhgiiclius tarsalis, on Sisymbrium; Phlceo- phagus spadix, one or two specimens picked up casually in different places ; Apion SchoenJierri and Hylesinus oleiperda, by sweeping ; Hyperaspis reppensis and Scy minis Mulsanti, basking in the sunshine on stones, &c. The Chatham district has also yielded its fair share of good species, the following (of which several have likewise been taken by Mr. Champion, in my company) being the most noteworthy : — Harpalus azureus, running about in the sunshine ; Stenolo- phus JlavicoUis and dorsalis, in moso, &c., in a wet place ; IJyobaies forilcornis, in flood-refuse; Callicents rigidicornis and Calodera umhrosa, occasionally by sweeping under fir trees, also in a sand-pit ; Homalota scapularis, a few by evening sweeping ; Tachyporus formosus, Matt., several specimens in moss, and one by sweeping (hitherto only recorded, I believe, by the Rev. A. Matthews from a Midland locality, — I fancy Sherwood Forest) ; PcEderus riparius andj'tiscipes, in flood-refuse, and by sweeping, " grubbing," and cutting tufts in a marshy place, the latter species occurring in profusion ; Stenus major, in flood-refuse (also not rarely at Favcrsham, in April, by cutting tufts of Carex in a wet place) ; Bleditis atricapillus, in enormous numbers in a sand-pit, in April, the perpendicular sides of the pit being riddled with its burrows for yards together; Oxytelus p'iceus (cJ), in flood-refuse; Agathidium rotundattim, in fungus ; Meligethes symphyii, in flowers oi Agraphia ; Cicones varie- gattts, in a nest of Formica rttfa ; Lathridiits testaceus, in some numbers in a very small quantity of brown powdery fungus (not unlike snuff) on rotten beech bark ; AphanisficHsptisiHus, by sweeping ; MordeJlistena ahdominalis ( J ), on umbelliferous flowers ; 31. brevicauda, common in buttercups, &c., on the clialk-hills ; Flinthus caliginostis, not uncommon in moss ; Mecinns circulatiis and Gymneiron rostelhtm (several), by general sweeping; Ceuthorhynchus suturellus, rarely, on Cardamine prateusis ; C. alliarice, not rare on l^rysimum alliaria ; Ceuthorhynchideus hepaticus, nigrinus (in profusion), terminattis, Chevrolati, and versicolor (not rare), by sweeping under fir-trees, &c. ; Apion filirost re, Cissophagus hederce, and Cryptocephaliis lineola, by general sweeping ; Chrysomela gwiiingensis, in a sand-pit ; Fhyllotreta sinnaia ( cJ ) and Thyamis disiiiiguenda, Kye, by sweeping ; T. agills. Rye, variety with dark suture, on Scrophzdaria aquatica growing in a wet place (unfortxuiatcly, this insect only too well merited its specific name, as of several specimens netted by Mr. Champion and myself, all but one effected their escape) ; Cassida vittata, two or three in moss ; C. sescrij)tion of the larva, Sec, of Boarmia roloraria. — I am indebted to Mr. W. H. Harwood for repeated help in rearing this species, enabling me at length to offer an acconnt of all its stages. With larva? sent in 1868, I failed entirely, but succeeded much better with eggs in 1871 ; and this past spring, I have again been furnished with a larva after hibernation, in order to make sure of one or two points. The eggs reached me on July 5th ; the larvae were hatched on 15th, and I soon put them outdoors on a young oak ; when about three-quarters of an inch in length they hibernate, taking up a position on a twig, and remaining motionless as if growing from it ; about the end of January, 1872, 1 found them gnawing the bark of the twigs, and this they did at intervals till they had barked all the twigs of their oak- plant, and checked the development of the buds ; so that on looking at them about the end of March, I found some dead from starvation, and the survivors looking shrunken : I now put them on a fresh plant, the leaves of which had been forced, and on these, as well as on the tender green stems of the new shoots, they fed well, becoming full-grown towards the end of AprU or beginning of May ; the moths appeared between June 5th and 12th. The egg, as is the case in this genus, is small in proportion to the moth, of flat- tened oblong figure, one end blunter than the other ; the shell down the sides reticulated in regular rows of four-sided meshes, with knots or little knobs at the angles, and generally one or two extra on one of the four sides, as though the shape were meant to be a pentagon or hexagon ; at the ends the meshes are pentagonal or hexa- gonal, with the knots in their proper places ; the colour of the eggs when received was dull greenish, one end becoming deep pink, the little knobs being white ; at last, the whole egg became dark brownish. The newly-hatched larva is without humps, in colour pale green, broad dark brown lateral stripe, head pale reddish-brown. The first moult takes place in about a week, and the young larva conies out with indi- cations of a hump on sixth eegmcnt ; the colour pale ochrcous on back, lateral stripe pale brown, spiracular stripe pale ochrcous, belly darker. After this, the larva gets darker in colour, and attains a length of about three- quarters of an inch before hibernation ; the head is now notched, and large for the size of the body, the ventral and anal pairs of legs are also large ; the sixth segment puffed, and bearing two transverse humps on the back ; the seventh with a pair of ventral warts ; the twelfth with a transverse dorsal ridge bearing a pair of warts. The colour a dull purplish on the back, the belly paler and more brownish, the folds, humps, and ventral and anal legs all dusky grey ; the head ochrcous, freckled with brownish ; at the folds, a slight dorsal pattern, viz., a blackish spot with an ochrcous spot on either side. After hibernation it moults once, and then feeds up. The full-grown larva is about one and three-quarters of an inch in length ; from above it appears of about uni- form bulk throughout, except at the sixth segment ; but sideways it appears stoutest at the ninth and tenth segments ; the head is narrower than the second segment, flattened in front, notched on the crown, the lobes rising in conical prominences ; the sixth segment very much swollen on the back and sides, and bearing a pair of puckered Bub-dorsal humps ; the swelling begins just below the spiracle, which is thus lifted considerably above the level of the spiracles of the other segments ; the seventh bears on its belly a pair of transverse puckered humps, in some specimens looking more like two sets of warts — three in each ; the tvjelfth has a slight transverse dorsal >-i(l(;;o bearing a pair of warts : in some specimens, also tlie foiivlli bears a pair of three- lobcd, transverse, sub-dorsal humps ; tlie front pairs of legs on segments three and four are -n-ell developed, as well as the ventral and anal pairs ; the aiial flap triangular, somewhat rounded at the tip, the 13th (under the flap) ending in two bhmtish points, with a shorter, sharper one between them ; the skin glossy, but wrinkled on the hinder part of each segment. The ground colour is generally purplish-brown, sometimes more cinnamon-brown, the folds and humps dai'k brownish-grey ; there is not much pattern, and different individuals vary in the amount of patches of paler colouring, some having broad patches of cream colour in the spiracular region of the fifth and tenth segments ; the sixth sometimes tinged with rust colour ; the dorsal line appears as a palish dash on the front of each segment, and a spot just at the end ; similar pale spots ai'e some- times seen where the sub-dorsal line should be on the sixtli and ninth segments ; the head brownish ; the spiracles dirty-white, outlined with black. The whole appearance of the larva, both in outline and colour, is exti-cmely suggestive of an oak twig, and it jireserves the resemblance under one or two changes of attitude ; sometimes standing stiflly out, with the body in a straight line up to the eighth segment, then the seventh bent slightly upwards from tliis, and then from the sixth to the head again in one line ; the head and thoracic segments and legs more or less " bunched " together ; some- times standing off at a wider angle from a twig, and then with the whole front of the body from the sixth to the head inclined — in a stiff line — towards the twig again ; in this position, it looks like what had been a forked twig, with one of the forks broken off : in walking, its humps lose much of their prominence, and then it looks much like other stout Greometers. The pupa is enclosed in a slight cocoon, placed just on the surface of the soil, aud formed by drawing together moss, &c. ; it is about three-quarters of an inch long, cylindrical, the thorax and upper part of abdomen stoutish, the lower part tapering off I'apidly ; the wing cases granulated and dull, the abdomen glossy ; tho wliole pupa skin sparsely set with fine bristles ; the anal spike triangular, flattened, and ending in a long fine spine, barely bifurcated at the tip ; colour a very dark brown, with the abdominal rings reddish. — John IIelltns, Exeter : 30t/t May, 187-1'. Jiritiah Jlemiplera : memoranda for residents and fourisf.i. — Cafi/p/ono/ns qitadratu.t, a terrestrial species. Lygaosoma ]}unctatogiiltala, gregarious at the roots of the foxglove. L. reficu- lata, also gregarious about several low plants. These are all common in the Channel Islands. The first is very rare in England, the other two not hitherto found in Britain, but all may reasonably be expected to occur in (he Southern Counties. Nyxius jacohem, Sehill. (fragarla, Boh.), which is found throughout Europe, and frequents the wild strawberry ; should surely be found in Britain. It usually occurs in the brachypferoua form, and in tliis slate was once found numerous in Switzerland by Meyer-Diir, who, at the time, tliinking the examples were only un- developed y. thymi, took only a few, and did not find out his mistake until it wa3 too late to get more. JKremocorii plebeius is only known as British by a solitary example from Scot- land. It is found in Germany and the North of Europe among tho roots of heather (CaJhina vulyarisj. 42 [July, Of the gonna OphthahnimiR three speeies are noted by Dr. J. Salilberg as having been taken by him as far north as Karelia ; one of them (O. pi/gmeeus, F. Sahib.) plentiful among lieather in August. The genus is hitherto unrepresented in Britain, although many species inhabit the Continent, and some must be here. Tingispyri lives on the leaves of pear trees throughout Europe, often in such num- bers as to occasion detriment to the trees, and hence known to French horticulturists by the name of " le tigre." It is reputed to have been found in Britain, but I have 7iever seen a native example. Monanthia (PlatycliUa) pilosa, Fieb., is recorded as having been found in France on the white horehound (Marnthium vuJgare) in July (E. Ferris, Ann. Soc. Ent. France, iii, 76, 1873), and probably only wants to be looked for here in order to be added to the British list. The above are a few of many species of Hemiptera that may reasonably be ex- pected to occur in Britain ; the casual captures by the collectors of other orders in fresh or out-of-the-way localities may soon, I hope, include at least some of them, or perhaps others of the luimerous species that inhabit the Continent, and are not debarred by any known cause from being resident here, but have not hilherto been claimed as Britons. — J. W. Douglas, Lee : June, 1874. Additional notes on the egg-laying, S^'c, of Acanthosoma griseiim. — I have been hoping for some time that I should see some notice of this species from the pen of some one who had studied the Hemiptera, but failing this, I thought I would copy out at full my notes made in 1871, of which I gave a very short abstract at page 13 of Yol. ix of this Magazine. On June 4th, 1S71, I noticed an Acanthosoma griseum on one of \hc lower branches of my birch-tree, apparently engaged in extracting some nourishment from the catkins ; she seemed quiet, and the under-side of her abdomen, near the tip, had a greenish tint, suggestive of a batch of eggs soon to be laid; I saw her again on the 5th, a little way off from her previous position, and again I found her on the fith very near the same spot ; at 3 p.m. on that day I looked again, and found her close to where she was on the 4th, and now engaged in laying eggs on the under-side of a leaf. I did not sec an egg actually extruded, but I saw the whole batch gradually placed in order. She began by depositing one egg, then a row of two or three, then about five, till, at the widest row, there must have been seven or eight; then she diminished the rows a^ain till she came to a point, the whole mass, in number between thirty and forty, forming a rough diamond figure just about the size of her own body. The outer eggs were laid on their sides, the inner ones stood up on end. I detached one and examined it with the microscope, and found it long in shape, twice as long as wide, plump, a little depressed on the sides, recticulated all over very faintly, \ somewhat glossy, and in colour pale whitish-green. The mother now took her stand \ over these eggs, but I do not think her body touched them ; towards the end of June I noticed that the side of the eggs nearest the sun had become yellowish, and, on the 29th, I found the young bugs all hatched, and clustered under their mother amongst the empty egg-shells ; they were yellowish-green in colour, their thoraces becoming darker than the abdomens, and I saw them moving their antenna. 1874 43 On July 3rcl I found them showing a ivtl streak down the middle of the abdomen, and, on tho 6th, they had moved from among the egg-shells, and were got together by themselves. About this time the wind was occasionally rough, and I think was the cause of some of them disappearing, for I could not find that they moved away of themselves, and so concluded that they had been blown or shaken off their leaf. On the 9th I found them moulting, and saw some of them kicking away their cast skins behind them ; their colours were bright at first, yellow with vermilion Btripe, and they soon began to move about more freely, and on the 13th migrated — now with sadly diminished numbers — to a neighbouring catkin. I now packed up the mother with eight young ones, and despatched them to Mr. Douglas ; but, unfortunately, he was from home, and returned only to find their dead and dried bodies. I fancy it might bo a good plan to beat birch-trees for the impregnated females towards the end of May, and if any were taken, they might possibly be induced to lay in confinement, by furnishing them with fresh birch twigs in a bottle of water, enclosed in a glass cylinder. I do not think the female feeds whilst brooding over her eggs or young, so that she need not be disturbed till the latter have been hatched for a day or two, when perhaps a fresh twig might be placed close at hand for her to move to if so inclined. — John IIkllins, Exeter: June 2ud, 187-4. gci'ieiuf). Fauna and Flora of Xoufolk : Part v, Lepidoi'tera, by Cuaklh.-5 Gt. Barrett (Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society, 1873-1, Supplement) ; pp. 1 — 80. Fletcher & Son, Norwich, 187-4. It is not often that we have had the pleasure of analysing so complete and valua- ble a local list as this. Too frequently such lists consist of mere catalogues of naine^, and bear internal evidence of untrustworthiness ; or, if tolerably complete in the Macro-Lepidoptera, the "Micros" are usually conspicuous by their absence. All who know Mr. Barrett will bear willing testimony to his indefatigable industry and powers of discrimination and observation; and English entomologists in general (and those of Norfolk in particular) will I'cmcmber with satisfaction the fortunate chance that caused him to be located in the city of our eastern counties for several years. This is not a mere list of names ; the localities arc copious, and no oppor- tunity is lost of giving lengtliencd notes on the habits of tho species, with indications of extensive literary research into all that has been written concerning the Lcpidop- tera of tho county. 1210 species are enumerated, a very large number, considering that for the Micros tho compiler had to rely almost entirely on the results of his own observations. Wo heai'tily commend this work to tho notice of British Lepidop- terists. The " Transactions " of the Society (of which Mr. Barrett's list forms a separate supplement) for 1873-4, contain some useful hints on breeding Lepidoptera, by Mr. Wheeler (but we are soiTy to sec that the writer dispenses with generic names), and notes on the nidification of Ffusupix, by Mr. Bridgman. 41 fJ"b-. NoiiENCLATOR ZooLOGiCFS, contiiieiis nomiiia sjsteumtica geiieriim nninialiiiin tam vivcnlium qiiam fossiliura, secundum ordinem alphabcticuiii disposita : sub auspiciis ct siimptibus C. E.. Societatis zoologico-botanicse conscriptus a Comite AuGUSTO DE Mahschall ; Vindobor.ffi, 1873, pp. 482. In 1848 was published the -woll-known " Nomenclator " by the late Professor Agassiz, enumerating the names in use from the commencement of the system up to 1846, amounting to about 81,000 ; but for some years it has been practically impos- sible for a zoologist labouring under the necessity of coining a new generic term, to be certain that his proposed name was not already in use. It was, then, with great satisfaction that zoologists, heard, a few years since, that a continuation of this work up to the year 1868 was in prcpai-ation by Graf Von Marschall in Vienna. This has at length appeared, and contains, at a rough estimate, about 23,000 additional names, bringing the total to the alarming number of 54,000. This continuation is a great boon, and, even if there be errors of omission (things nearly impossible to avoid in a work of this nature) the compiler deserves, and will doubtless receive, the thanks of all working zoologists. Since the year 1870, an index of new generic names has been added to the vols, of the " Zoological Becord," so that now there remains only 1869 absolutely unaccounted for (and a list of the new genera for that year will, we believe, be added to the next volume of the Zool. Eccord). As a reference for generic names only, it would, perhaps, have been better if the work had taken the form ofAgassiz's "Index Universalis," i. e., an alphabetical list from beginning to end, but the compiler (who gives a publication reference and date in each instance) has adopted the classified plan ; there are thus 22 sopai-ate alphabetical lists to wade through instead of one only, and as all names are inserted precisely as published, ■without any grammatical or orthographical emendations, a zoologist who respects the letter H must also search through the vowel initials of the 22 sections before he can always be sure that his proposed term will run the gauntlet of criticism. The num- ber of absolutely " nonsense-names," evidently formed without the slightest attempt at meaning, is enormous, and the greater part of these are found among the various orders of Iiisecta, the chief coiner of them being a well-known English ^vl•iter. A glance shows, also, tliat, for want of a guide such as this, the number of instances in which the same name has been used two or more times, even in the same order, is very large. With neither time nor space for an extended analysis, we conclude by recommending the book as a monument of laborious research of a nature that few could be found to willingly undertake. Psyche ; organ of the Cambridge (^Mass.) Entomological Club. Edited by B. PiCKMAN Manx. No. 1 ; May, 1874. The ' Club ' under whose auspices this quarter-sheet is issued, appears to number about twenty-five members among which are several names well known and honoured in ontoniologieal science. A first number of any periodical of this nature is scarcely a fair subject for criticism ; but on a future occasion we hope to feel called upon to give a more extended notice. Oiu* present notice shall be limited to praising the proposed plan of giving monthly notes on the bibliography of all » that concerns American Entomology, and to discouraging the attempt initiated to apply ' English ' (or ' common ') names to North American butterflies. Our American J 1874.1 4..5 cousins will do well if they avoid the vices of their ancestors in the old country ; and they m;iy receive our assurance that the proposed practice, instead of advancing en- tomological science, will, iu the long run, have the opposite effect. Entomological Society of Loxdon : 3Iaj/ 4th, 187-1. — Sir S. S. Saunders, President, in the Chair. The Entomological Society of the Netherlands presented a finely executed medal struck in honour of Dr. Snellen von VoUcidiovcn on his retirement from the ollice of President, which he had held for twenty years. G-. T. Porrltt, Esq., of Uuddersfield (already a Subscriber), and Ilerbert Goss, Esq., of Brighton, were elected Members. Mr. Butler exhibited an example of Vanessa lo bred from the chiysalis, shewing an arrest of development, the wings, &c., on one side being perfect, w^hereas, on the other side, they were aborted and shrivelled, with the pupa-case still attached. He considered this due to the fact of the pupa having become detached during the metamorphosis. Mr. W. C. Boyd exhibited a specimen of a Solenohia from St. Leonard's Forest, which was taken with ordinary S. inconspicuella, and might be an albino variety thereof, but of very different appearance from the ordinary form. He also exhibited several leaves of Symphytttm officinale recently gathered, on the under-side of which •was a dense mass of dead or moribund examples of Uraohycentrus suhnubilus nearly covering the surface. AH the insects (with perhaps a single exception) were males. Upon these leaves there were probably several hundred oxaniples. No obvious reason could be suggested for this assemblage. Mr. Stainton remarked that there were many such unaccountable instances of a habit of congregating in insects, and reminded the meeting of a fact known to all breeders of Micro-Lepidoptera, concerning the pupation of most species of the genus Nepticula, the larva of which were comparatively solitary, mining in leaves ; but if a number of mined leaves, containing larvte, be collected and placed m a box, it is found that the cocoons arc constructed gregariously between certain of the leaves, with no apparent reason for the preference. He illustrated the habit by comparing the mass of mined leaves in a breeding box to those of a book, between only a few of wrhicli the accumulated pupa) would be found. Mr. C. O. Watcrhouse exhibited a beetle of the genus Sinoxylon (BostrychidcBj sent from British Burmah by Dr. Lamprey of the 67th Regiment, wliicli, according to him, had the habit of boring into small stems, and then eating the wood com- pletely round within the bark, so that it became entirely detached by the first gust of wind ; portions of small stems thus si'Vcvcd by tlic btt'tlo accompanied the exhibition. Mr. McLaclilan said lie liad to correct an error into which he had fallen when exhibiting at the meeting on the 7th July, 1873 (cf. Ent. Mo. ilag. x. p. 72 ; Proc. Ent. Soc. 1873, p. xxiv.) an insect of the family St/rphidee as gynandromorphous. Mr. Vcrrall, who had examined it, said it was a male of Chrysotoxum fcstivum, and that the apparent asymmetry of the genital apparatus was usual in that species, as also in other Syrp/iidec. Part ii. of the Transactions for 187t was on the table. 46 I-'"'}'' LIFE HISTORY OF MELIOETHES* BY ELEAXOR A. ORMEEOD. In the spring of 1872, 1 waa requested by my friend Mr. Andrew Murray to make some observations on tlie development of the genus 3IeUgcthes, for which my residenee in the country and suflicieut leisure seemed to give me some advantages. Mr. Murray had already (Trans. Linn. Soc.) monographed a por- tion of the family of Nitidulidce to which Meligethes belongs, and had devoted considerable study to that genus itself, with a view to the continuance of his monograph. In the meantime, Herr Edmund Reitter of Paskau had, for the first time, published (Brunu : 1871) a monograph of the European species of the genus, describing as many as 99 (of which 76 had been recognised by various previous authors), and to which nearly a score more have been added subsequently by Herr E-eitter and M. Ch. Brisout. As the characters of such a large number of species in a genus of singularly uniform aspect are neces- sarily very minute, Mr. Murray was anxious to find what amount of individual variation (if any) took place in the broods of any one of them, and so asked me to assist him in ascertaining this point. In this respect, how^ever, my observations were not productive of any result, but, in another pqint of view, they may perhaps be of interest to entomologists ; for it is unnecessary to say that I could not make the researches required of me w'ithout rearing and breeding the insects, and, consequently, I was compelled to study their whole life history from the egg to their perfect development. 8o far as I know, their early history has never previously been described in this country; the larva and pupa are known, but beyond that I believe their life history is a blank, which I shall endeavour to suppl}^ by the following notes, t The species which I studied were the large M. rufipes and the common green M. ceneus and viridescens ; but, as the two latter of these vary considerably in colour, and hundreds of them passed under review, it was impossible to ascertain (whilst watching their habits in a state of liberty) whether some specimens of the viridescens Avcre not mixed with the aeneiis, and I have therefore simply designated both throughout as " the green Meligethes,'' though, as far as careful ob- servation went, they were entirely ceneus. * Read by Andrew Murray, Esq., F.L.S., at the Meeting of the Kensington Entomological Society in May, 1874. t Since the .ihove was in type, I .am indebted to Mr. Rye for drawing my attention to the publications of Krnst Hccger (Sitzungsber. Akad. Wissen.«ch. Wien, xiv, Ueft ?, 1854, pp. 278-281, pi. iii, figs. 1-10), G. Kiiiistlor (Die uneeren Kulturi'flanzen scliUdliclien Insecten, &c., 1871, pp. 46 and 47), and J. H. Kaltenb.ich (Die Planzenfeiiide, orthinilica ; the plants I potted, and the branches I gave to the feeding larva*, and it was a pleasure \o witness their enjoyment of this more congenial fare. The Euphorbia prjduH they bad been eating had evidently been regarded as a mere \\\\v\ and tlicir a|)])clil(> now seemed insatiable; eacli larva t'inhraccd till' sea-spurge with all its legs, and ate voraciously, and at length, wIh'u coin|)cl!cd to stoj), it wouM go to 8lee|) without cliange of posi- tion, anil witli a partly tlcvonrcd leal" in its jaws; and tlu>n, alter a few minutes' repose, it w(uild wake up, finish the leaf, and attack whatever came next — leaves or seed vessels — most vigorously ; there was no walking about, the only movement was a step or two backward as the stem .shortened bcneatli il.^ jaws, 71' [Soiitcmbcr, From this time their beliaviour was most satisfactory. Luckily they were all of different ages, though all in their last moult, and I was able, without anxiety for the others, to devote my whole energies to one at a time ; and so in turn they all sat to me — or rather I may say ate before me — during eight days while I was closely at work, and never sulked or shraiik wlieu the sun shone on them, or when for closer inspection I took them in my hand : only as each matured, and ceased feeding, it grew active and lively, and exhil)ited its capacity of walking at a great pace for a day or two before settling down to its change. The smallest of the four had, apjiarently, just undergone its last moult when it i-eachcd me, and it was then just one and a quarter inch long ; the dates for their making up Avere respectively August 8th, 14th, 17th, and 18th. The earliest pupa Avas figured on the 21st of October, when, on searching for the others, the latest larva was found to have died without turning, although it had made a perfect cocoon. Emboldened by a former success in forcing several galii to per- fection in 1870 — 71, I resolved to hazard the three pupae of eupliorlice in a similar experiment. On the evening of the day in which I had disturbed them, I packed them in the forcing box with moss, and placed them at first on the iron plate of a kitchen stove over the boiler ; here the situaiion was warm through the greater part of the night, and quite hot by day, when the bottom of the box was elevated two inches above the hot plate by aid of two strips of wood on which the box rested ; Iiere they were damped witli lukewarm water twice a day ; on the 23rd November, a fine and perfect moth came from the earliest pupa, but after that my efforts were baffled ; the two remaining pujjSB continued lively, but the moths would not appear ; I moved the box to a place before my sitting room fire, but without effect ; and at last I came to the conclusion that I ought not to have hegun the forcing till the iceather had become dry and frosty ; then the heat woiild have had due effect, but as it was, the great liumidity of the atmosphere had prevented this, and sullicient heat had not reached the pupa; to develop the imago in them at once. After continuing my forcing till tlie end of December, I put tlie pupa? aside to wait for suunuer, but before that time came they had died. Of course I can say nothing of tlie larva when young, but I may notice the appearance of tlic two smaller ones when they first came to me. The ground coloin- of Ihe smallest was black ; the next in size was blackish-green, and with a muUitude of small bright yellow i^'i] 7.". dots, eoutrastccl with lavL^'cr spots of yellow tiiigecl ceutrally with a rosy liue : for the rest I shall describe one full-grown larva, and men- tion the variations of detail in the others, as each preserved its indi- vidual points of difference to the last. The full-grown larva measured from three to three and a (quarter inches in length, being in proportion a trifle more slender than f/alit\ though otherwise similar in form, being plump and cylindrical, tapering considerably from the fourth segment to the head, which is the smallest segment, and is rounded in outline ; tapering a little also at the two hinder segments, the twelfth having a rough, blunt-tipped horn curving a little backw^ards ; each segment from the fifth to the twelfth is subdivided into seven rings by well-defined wrinkles, the front ring equal in width to three or four of the others ; the skin generally smooth and shining ; the anal pair of legs larger than each ^■entral pair, and of a squarish form ; the segments appear more plump and swelling on the ventral than on the dorsal surface. As to colour, two individuals were of the same type, the ground colour of the skin only varying in intensity from a bronze-green to a deeper blackish- bronze ; the head blood-red, the mouth and base of papillae pale yellow, the former margined above and below, and the latter surrounded, with black ; the dorsal stripe blood-red in colour, widened on the second segment in a curve on either side downwards, suggestive of a plate, but from thence continued of about uniform w'idth to the anal flap, which is also red ; the horn is of the same colour, but with black tip, and glistening ; in these larva) the sub-dorsal region bore a row of very blunt wedge-shaped red marks, widest at the hinder part, and pointing forwards, and a row of large roundish or dumpy pear-shaped bright ochreous-yellow spots slightly tinged above with pink (on the twelfth segment of a longer pear-shape, with the stem pointing to the horn), and below these another such row only paler, and irregular in shape from a fold in the skin, these spots on each front broad ring being much surrounded with black; below these come a few small dots of white, and then in its place — rather behind again — the whitish oval spiracle; the hinder narrow rings of each segment — whether in the red wedges or on the ground colour — bore transverse rows of thickly set yellow dots: the puffed region below the Kpirncles showed red interruptedly, but w ithout any dots ; beneath this again, a patch of the dark ground colour, sprinkled with white dots ; the tips of the ventral and anal legs blood-red; the anterior legs orange-ochreous tipped with black. The variety which may be termed ihe >V(/, from the great (juantity 76 [September, it posBessed of tLis colour, had the first or broad ring of each segment of a black ground colour, and the narrow I'ings of a bronzy-green, tho wedge shapes of red in the sub-dorsal region extended along each seg- ment from their greatest breadth at the last ring to the blunt apex close to the broad front ring ; the dots of yellow above and whitish below, and the double series of large spots were as described above ; all the rings suddenly interrupted by the inflated and rather tortuous broad sub-spiracular region coloured red ; below this on each segment came a pear-shaped patch of bronzy-green dotted with white, all the rest of the belly and legs were red, but inclining at the segmental divisions to deep ochreous or greenish-ochreous, as the above-mentioned red wedge marks did in the same j^lace ; a few yellow dots were at the segmental divisions in the sub-spiracular region ; the black plate on the second segment margined with red ; the red head and dorsal stripe, &c., as in the other varieties. The black variety had no sub-dorsal wedge marks ; the first ring in each segment with black ground, the others with greenish-black ground, dotted and spotted with bright sulphur-yellow above, and white below ; very little of the sub-spiracular region was inflated, and was coloured crimson-red and ochreous, the red in the middle blending gently with the ochreous at each segmental division ; the anterior edge of the second segment yellow, a large round black spot on the top of each lobe of the crimson head, the anterior half of the anal legs black, the rest crimson, the same coloured dorsal stripe quite narrow, and the anal flap black margined with crimson. I must not now omit to mention a handsome variety of this larva, brought home in spirits from Cairo by Mr. Jenner Eust, which I thankfully received in May, 1871, through my friend Mr. Ilellins, and figured ; this had the broad ring on each segment black, the ground colour on the others of the deepest blackish-olive; the head, the plate on the second segment, the dorsal stripe, the legs, anal flap and caudal horn blood-red ; the double series of large spots creamy-whitish; the upper rows of small dots pale yellow, the lower rows white; the sub-dorsal truncated-wedge shapes of deep ochreous, and largely developed ; the inflated sub-spiracular region, belly, and ventral legs, of deep ochreous or buff colour ; a pear-shaped blotch of dark olive dotted with white situated below the sub-spiracular region on each segment ; the ventral legs ti^jped with red, anterior legs red. • The cocoons were of a very firm texture, s\nin with strong and coarse silk threads attached to some leaves of spurge above, aJid with 1874.] 77 some sand inlcrwovcn, and in oacli instance ilrinly fastened toilies^ide of tlie pot, and snnk alxiiit lialf-;in-ineli beliiw tlie surface of the sand, BO that if was immoveable, though the sand was Liose ; the interior of the cocoons beautifully smooth, with fine silken lining. The pupa one and five-eighths of an inch in length, and half-an- inch in diameter, tapering a little from the thorax towards the frontal extremity, where it is rather smooth ; the wing cases pressed close to the body ; the abdominal rings in tolerable relief ; the outline tapers a little near the anal tip, which ends in a broad, flattish, downward- curved spike pointed at its extremity, the remains, apparently, of the caudal horn of the larva. The colour a dingy, deep brick-red above, fading a little beneath to more of a flesh colour, and thickly covered with minute blackish punctures ; the wing-covers dark brownish much freckled and finely streaked with blackish, as are also the head, antennpe, eye, and leg- and trunk-cases ; the segmental divisions of the abdomen dull purplish- red, and quite smooth, while the parts between them are roughened by black pits or punctures on a rather shining ground ; a dorsal line of the ground colour is visible on the back of the thorax ; the spiracles black. Emsworth : May I3ih, 1874. DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES OF HETEEOCEROUS LEPI- UOPTEEA IN THE COLLECTION OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. BY A. a. BUTLEB, F.L.S. EUCTANE EgAENSIS, U. sp. Wings above black-brown, basal area and boay l)rij,'lit metallic l)liio-grccn ; primaries ■with a broad, oblique, transverse, caruiine band, clouded with j;ale rosy scales ; apex narrowly wliite ; secondaries with costa grey ; abroad, irregular, oblique, sub-apical, carmine fasciole ; fringe varied by three white spots ; wings below as above ; body with leg.s and palpi brown above, white below. Abdomen with broad, ventral, carmine band ; segments white-edged. Expanse of wings, 2" 2'". Ega (Bates). Two specimens. B. M. Allied to E. tcmjiorafa, AVIK., from T:)]iajice extus oblique truncato intus p)eracuminato, extus medio srta brevissima instructo. Caput ante oculos drjlexum, sub oculos tubcr- culo ])arvo inslructum,pone oculos acute p>romincns, tuberculis frontalihus brei'ibus, connatis. Abdomen sat elongatum, marginatum, segmcntis dor- salibus quinque perspicuis, quorum duo basalia sat elongata, tria ultima jyaulo brevioria dejlexa ; segmentis ventralibus 5 perspicuis, tribus ultimis jjerbi'evibus. Pedes elongati, trochanteribus intermediis elongatis, coxis post ids distantibus, a frmorihns trochanteribus srparafis ; nnguiculis duobus j)arvis. This genus must be placed between Tmrsipliorus and Cfrnistes. Tho structure of the maxillary palpi scarcely differs from that of Tmesipliorus carinatus, but the connate frontal tubercles distinguish it from Tmesipliorus. From Ctenistcs the structure of the maxillary yQ [Septcnilxir, pnlpi will rcndily separate it. It appear.s also to be allied to Crntro- ioma, but the angulated joints of tbe maxillary palpi sepai'ate it therefrom. Tetracis complex, n. sp. Rufescens, nifidus, j)rot]iorace suhlransvcrso ; eli/lris stria suturnli, striaque discoidnli inferp'o, hasi profunde impressis foveo latisque ; ah- doiiiine segmenfls 1 ef 2 snpra et infra hasi dense rjlanduloso pubescent ihus. Long. Corp. ultra 2 mm. AiitoiinsD much longer tliau head and tliorax, rather stout, the basal joint nearly as long as the two following joints together, a little stouter than the second joint ; second joint distinctly longer than the third, but scarcely thicker than it; joints four to eight not differing from one another ; joints nine and ten elongate, a little stouter than the preceding joints, each longer than broad ; eleventh joint elongate, distinctly stouter than the tenth joint, and as long as the ninth and tenth together. Head, with the vertex elevated but short, -with the impressions very obsolete. Thorax narrower than the elytra, but distinctly broader than the head and eyes, not so long as broad, at the base in the middle, with a dense patch of glandular pubescence, and at the hind angles with similar pubescence extending downwards as far as the coxfc. Elytra longer than the thorax, a little narrowed at the shoulders. The specimen described is, no doubt, a male : it has the metasternum longitu- dinally sulcata. The antenna; of the female may very probably differ from the above description. A single specimen of this highly interesting species was sent me from Tangicrs, by M. Olces, as being the Ctenistes integricoUis of Fairmaire. Fairmaire has, however, figured both the G. integricoJlis and its magnified palpus, and these figures leave no doubt that it is a very different insect from the one here described. PsELAPnirs Saulcti, ii. sp. Castaneus, minus nitidus ; palpis maxillarihus articulo ultimo valde elon(/ato, parte apicali ahrupte dilatata, hreviter ovaJi ; anfrnnis articulo nono precedente (infemina?) latioresed haudduplolongiore ; prothorace ehngato luiud iinpresso ; elytris tliorace paulo longiorihtis disco carinatis ; mcsosferni 7)iedisterno valde elongato medio liaud longitudinaliter carinato. Long. Corp. vix 2 mm. Dark reddit-h-chestnut, with the head and thorax narrow, and the after-body very broad ; on the upper-side the head, thorax, and elytra are sub-opaque, the liind body shining ; the maxillary palpi are very elongate, the dilated apical portion of their terminal joint is only about one-fourth of the length of the extremely slender basal portion ; the ninth joint of the antcnnse is not much longer than broad. This highly interesting insect is apparently most nearly allied to the P. Diecli, Saulcv, and its genera* form resembles greatly the 1S74.] 81 figure of that spci-ii-M an given on [)late ii, f. 0 oi" Von Jleyden's Eeine; the after-body of P. Saulcyi is, however, notably broader tlian the figure represents that of Diechi. The single individnal I have seen of this species has the anterior trochanters very prominent, and acutely anguhited, and is particularly remarkable by tlie structure of its metasternum, the central portion of which is prominent and flattened, and forms as it were two oval plates which appear to be covered with a i)cculiar glandular matter. The basal segment of the hind body is not in the least impressed in the middle, and this has raised some little doubts in my mind as to the sex of this individual ; I feel, however, pretty certain that it is a male, I captured my single specimen of this, which is, perhaps, the most remarkable species of the genus, at Reynosa, in the north of Spain, and I have named it witli much pleasure in honour of M. de Saulcy, who has described also some higlily remarkable forms of this genus from the same country. Bythinus ocdipus, 11. sp. liiifcscens ; vertice Icevignto ; eJytris parce fort iter pimctatis ; pro- tliorace lato, hasin versus valde angustato. Lone/. If mm. Mas : antennarumarticuloprimo cylindrico Jeviterincrassato,seciindo suh-qtiadrato, precedente fere latiore, angulis internis suhrectis (i. e., an- teriore suboltuso, posteriore acuto), margine interna quant externa hand hreviare, acuminata : femarihtis omnibus valde inflatis ; tibiis anticisante apicem subita attenioatis, poster ioribus incrassatis intus medio dente magna, apice interna acuta. Patria, llispania (E-eynosa). This species is highly remarkable by the structure of its legs, and in this respect the Portuguese B. lusitnnicus, Saulcy, appears to be allied to it; but, if I correctly interpret do Saiilcy's description, the second joint of the antenna is differently shaped in that species. The species should be placed near B. clavicornis and B. crassicornis. Bythinus Ckotchi, n. sp. liufescens ; vertice Icevignto ; protliorace magna, basin versus valde a})gustato ; eh/tris pnrce minus distincte jiunctatis ; oculis (inaris) parvis. Lang, cor p. \% mm. Mas : antennarum articuJis duabus basalibus simplicibus, primo elongata ; frmaribus omnibus incrassatis ; tibiis anterioribus ante api- cem subito angustatis ; pasterioribus gracilibus elangatis. Pat rid, Ilispanin (Keynosa). y2 [SeiJtember, A single specimen of tin's species was given to me hj my lamented friend Gr. R. Crotcli, who captured it at Eeynosa ; and I subsequently myself found a single individual in the same locality. BrxniNus Manueli, n. sjo. Siifescens, postlce plus miiiusve nigricans; frotliorace antice im- fundato ; elytris ohsolete punctatis. Long. corp. I-3 mm. 3fas : antennarum articulo primo incrassato, intus apice tuberculo minimo ; 2" magno, primo latiore, latitudine vix hreviore, onargine inferno convexo quam externa paulo longiore ; tibiis anterioribus intus ante apicem minus fortiter angustatis, pedibus posteriorihus gracilibiis. B. nodicorni peraffinis ; maris antennarum articido 2" longiore, mar- gine interno elongato hand acuminato, facile distinguendus. Pafria, Sabaudia. Tliis Bythinus was captured during the month of May last at Albertville, Savoy, by Count de Manuel and myself, and I have great pleasure in naming it in honour of my hospitable and genial friend. Batrisus sibiricus, n. sp. Magnitudo et statura B . formicarii. Biifns, elytris exceptis, sub- opacus ; anfennce crassiiisculcB apice leviter clavatce ; capite punctato, vert ice sat elevafo, subtilissime carinato ; elgtris par ce, fortiter sed parum profunde punctatis ; ahdomine pubescentia depressa subtili sat dense vestito. Long. corp. 3 mm. Mas: antennarum articulo ultimo intus medio tuberculo obsoleto ; femoribus intennediis arcuatis ; tibiis omnibus basi compressis, inter- mediis apice unco brevi sat valido armatis. Fern, incog. Antennee long and stout, joints 2 — 8 bead-liko. Head much elevated over the insertion of the antcnnso, the vertex rather strongly elevated, and with an extremely fine line along its middle, eyes in front moderately large, but truncate behind, and with the head projecting behind them as a fine acuminate tubercle ; when viewed from the front the appearance is exactly as if the eyes themselves were spined or angulated. Thorax similar to that of B.formicarius, but with the middle fovea indistinct, and the front parts more distinctly punctured. Elytra redder and more shining than the rest of the surface, sparingly but distinctly (though not deeply) punctured. First dorsal segment of the hind body very finely margined at the sides, without impressions at its base, but with two very short indistinct raised lines in the middle behind the elytra, and outside these with a longer, very fine, oblique line on each side. I have seen but a single S2)ecimen of this fine species ; it comes from Eastern Siberia. Though clearly allied to B. formicarius, it is verj' distinct therefrom. In conncctioa with this insect it may bo 83 worlli while to mention, tliat tlie Hgnrc of B. funnicnriiis given by Aubc (I'sel. Mon., pi. ix, f. 1) is extremely deceptive; tlio antennae are those of a male individnal, while the legs arc not those of B.for- micfirius, either 3* or 5 , and are indeed so diffei"ent, that they must have been entirely supplied by the imagination of the artist, who, however, was Aube himself. Trooastek, nov. gen. Corpus elonqatum, suh-depressum. Antenna; hasi valde distnntes. C iput sub-iriangulare, nullo modo rostratum. Faljyi maxillares breves. Thorax cordatus. Coxis anferioribus elongatis longe exsertis. Pro- stermnn magnum. Abdomen marginatum, segmentis 5 dorsalihus per- sj)icuis sed quinto parvo transversa, fere condito, segmentis 4 primis sub-cequalibus ; segmentis ventralibus sex p)crspicuis. Pedes trochan- teribus brevibus, coxis post ids prominentihus, hasi contiguis ; tarsi unguicuh instructi. This genus is allied to Euplectus, but differs therefrom by the peculiarly prominent anterior coxaD : its facies is rather that of Trichonyx. I have only been able to make a very imperfect examina- tion of the single individual I possess, but I have no doubt a complete knowledge of its characters will prove it to be a very distinct genus. Indeed, it possesses slender much exserted anterior coxjb in com- mon with the Xorth American Phexius insculjjfus, and the Australian Batrisus hamatus, King (not a member of the genus Batrisus) ; and I believe its true position will be found to be in the neighbourhood of those insects. Trogaster aberra^s, n. sp. Castaneus ; oculis minutis ; protliorace latcribus medio angulatis, diKco longitudinalitcr canaliculafo ; cigtris protliorace pauJo hngioribus, stria suturali intrgra. Long. corp. 2 mm. Mas : abdomine segmentis ventralibus IJ ct 4 medio depressis ; seg- ment o 5° profunde emargijiato, medio brevissiino ; 0" magno, fovea maxima, circulari, nitida insigne. Anteniifc shorter than head and thorax, Ist and 2nd joints longer and stouter than the following, the 1st about twice as long as the 2nd, joints 3 — 8 small and vcrj short, scarcely difToring from one another, 9th broader and longer than the 8th, sub-quadrate, 10th joint shorter but broader than Dth, strongly transTcrse, 11th joint large, stouter than the 10th, and longer than Ulli and 10th together. Head short and broad, the elevation on each side over the antenna abruptly defined in- wardly, so as to form a kind of deep impression or fovea, the vertex in the middle with an indistinct fovea ; the eyes are very small, and placed in the middle of tiie g;^ [September, sides at a disfanoc from the hind angles. Tlie thorax is elongate, longer than broad, though only a little narrower than the elytra, (he sides are much narrowed towards the front (so that the front part of the thorax forms a sort of short neck), and they project in the middle in the form of a prominent acute tubercle, behind which the thorax is abruptly nari'owed ; along the middle is a deep channel, and at each side behind the lateral angle is a large deep impression. The elytra are but little longer than the thorax, a little narrowed at the shoulders ; each has a deeply impressed sutural stria, and the humeral angle is prominent, and within this the surface is depressed, and the inner margin of the depression extends towards the extremity as a kind of plica. The first segment of the hind body is in the middle close behind the extremity of the elytra transversely impressed, and the impression is filled with fine hairs. The legs are moderately long, the tarsi rather more than half the length of the tibiae. A single example of this very curious Pselaphid was sent me by that most successful collector the late E. Haymond, from Corsica, under the name of Trichonyx aherrans ; the species, however, does not appear (though this was five or six years ago) to have yet found a dcscriber. Ecclcs, Thornhill, Dumfries : August 8th, 1874. JVote on a curious race of Ilarpalus latus, L. — I am indebted to Mr. George Lewis for a ? example of a most interesting variety (or race) of the above-mentioned common insect, apparently hitherto unnoticed, and which is so conspicuously different from the type, that I propose to give it a name (metallescens), especially as some five or six of it were taken, all (as I am informed) exactly alike. These specimens were found during the past summer by a relative of Mr. Lewis's, at Folkestone. The individual in my possession is hard and mature : its legs are of a brighter yellow than usual ; the whole upper surface is of a silky greenish tone, the thorax being especially ^recM at the hinder angles ; the thorax itself seems scarcely so transverse as usual, being appreciably contracted behind, and having its posterior angles not nearly so rounded off as in ordinary examples ; the punctuation at its base is almost obsolete and confined to the fovere, and the fovea; themselves are much less conspicuous. — E. C. Eye, Tarkfield, Putney : Augtist, 1874. Note on a variety of Liodes humeralis. — I am also indebted to Mr. Lewis for a specimen of the var. glohosa, Payk., of this common species, not hitherto recorded as British, though the other described var. (entirely rufo-castaneous, with lighter iiulications of the usual shoulder spot), clavipes, Hbst., is, accoi'ding to Erichson, represented by Leiodes armata, Steph. (which, teste Wat. C&t., is? Anisotomartigosa, in Steph. Coll.). In the var. glohosa, the disc of the thorax is more or less black, and the luiraeral spots are eo confluent as to invade the whole elytra except the apex, •which is dark ; there is also a trace of dark colour along the suture. The insect is quite hard and mature, but the " var." clavipes seems probably nothing but an immature individual. — Id. • 1874.] S5 Coccinella eating Lepido}iterot(s ova. — A male Coccinella h'qjunctata has been engaged, during the hist four days, in eating a bateh of about sixty eggs of a Lepidop- teron, laid ou the glass of an out-house window here : it finished the last of them a little before dusk yesterday aftornoou. — J. E. Fletcuer, Pitmaston Koad, Wor- cester : August 4th, 1874. Re-occitrrence of Ilalonota grandcBvana at Hartlepool. — On the 26tli Juno I took a specimen of this Tortrix, and on the 6th of July I met with another, but I was by no means certain I had found the head quarters of the insect. This proved to be the case, for, on trying a fresh locality, a short distance from where I had taken the two first specimens, I had the good fortune, on the loth July, to meet with ten specimens, and the following niglit, aided by a friend, I captured forty-seven ! Many, however, were somewliat worn, and I could only regret I had not found out these head quarters a fortnight earlier. I took two or three splendidly marked females, which seem to be generally larger than the males. 1 am not at all surprised that the insect has so seldom been taken, for it does not fly before dusk, and then only a sort of jerking fliglit of a few yards very close to the ground. Afterwards, I discovered that I could take them more easily by looking over the leaves of the coltsfoot with a lantern, and by this means I got some very fine specimens sitting on the top of the leaves, generally on the smallest and most stunted plants, the more luxuriant plants being seldom pati-onized. — J. Gakdner, 8, Friar Terrace, Hartlepool : July llth, 1871. Elachi-ita serricornis, t^T., at Witherslack. — I spent the 25th and 2Gth July at Witherslack, and, though the wcatiier was too hot for day work, by sweeping before the sun got too hot I obtained two Elachlsta serricornis on the 25t]i, and two more on the evening of the 26th. Rhynchosporella was plentiful, but I only saw these four specimens of serricornis. Amongst my other captures I may mention Hypenodes turfosalis, Cnephasia lepidana and icterana, Gelechia ericinclla, in plenty j single specimens of Coleophora pyrrhuUpennella and apicella, Catoptria expallidana, JSupoecilia sodaliana, &c. Amongst the sorrel at dusk were several Opostega sala- ciella, but it was not easy to see them when in a white net. I only took two Cnephasia Fenziana at rest ; they seem to be scarce this season. — J. U. Uodukixsou, 15, Spring Bank, Preston : August 3rd, 1874. Note on Endopisa nigricana. — At page 198 of the 9tli vol. of this ^Sfagazine, I recorded the precocious appearance, witliin three weeks from their larval slage, of six moths of this species ; the bulk of tiie moths from the same lot of larvic came out at the normal time, — during June and beginning of July, 1873 — but the last individual remained twenty-two months in cocoon, and assumed the imago state on tlie Ist of June this year (1871). They were all kept together, and muler like con- ditions throughout. — J. E. Flktcheii, Pitmaston Koad, St. John's, Worcester: 2o(h July, 1871. Occurrence of Crymodes exulis. — I have again sugared (for sixteen nights) in the same locality where I liave before obtained this species, near Loeli Laggan, Inverness- shire, but only captured a single male this season, wliich came to sugar near midnight on the 7th inst. Moths were extremely scarce, and the wcallier very bad. — NiC'iioLAij Cooke, CSorsr'y Iley, Liseard, near Uirkenhead. — 21a/ July, 1871. SG ! September, Natural Hislory of Larentia oUvata. — Several years ago I bred this species, but took scarcely any notes of it, and was, therefore, very glad to receive from Mrs. Wol- laston, at the end of last August, some eggs which she had obtained from a moth taken at Teignmouth. The larva; hatched, but not all at once, during the second week in September, and were kept outdoors on a growing plant of Galium mollugo ; the winter being mild, they continued to feed slowly all the time, and seemed to be content with withered leaves, when green ones failed them ; by the last week in April they were fidl-fed, and most of them became puprc during the first week in May. Tlie larva of this species, like that of pectinitaria, is extremely sluggish, as miglit, indeed, be concluded from a glance at its form. The egg of olivata is rather small for the moth, of nn oval form, plump; the shell glistening, with no raised reticulation, but yet covered with the little facets as it were, which should be enclosed by reticulation ; colour at first pale straw ; then a palish vermilion-red ; at last turning to a pale livid hue. The young larva is pale vermilion-red, with blackish head, but this gay colour does not last long, soon giving way to the dingy appearance worn for the remainder of this stage, and the description of the full-grown larva will suffice for it altogether. The full-grown larva is rather over five-eighths of an inch in length, very stumpy in figure, rugose and warty, with segmental divisions distinct, head not so wide as second, with lobes rounded, although narrow, the front and hind segments tapering very slightly. The ground colour is a pale ochreous, mottled with deeper brown, and marked longitudinally with lines of darker brown ; the dorsal line begins blackish on the second, becomes dark brown after that and is continuous up to the fourth, then it becomes a series of dashes on the front part of each segment up to the tenth, thence again it becomes continuous ; on either side of the dorsal line come a sub-dorsal and lateral similar line, continuous to the end of the fourth, and fi'om the tenth to thir- teenth, but on the intermediate segments interrupted and turned aside by the warts ; in this manner the sub-dorsal line is pushed in towards the dorsal at the middle of each segment, giving somewhat the look of a curved X' only the limbs of the letter do not touch ; the lower or lateral dark line is also waved in its course by similar obstructions ; the usual dots are large tubei'cular warts of the ground colour, and furnished with stiff bristles, and, on segments six to nine, there are besides pairs of conspicuous, transverse, oval warts paler than the ground ; the spiracles are incon- spicuous, being small and blackish j tlie head brownish with dusk^- freckles, and set with bristles ; the belly more mottled than the back, and with traces of a central, and jxiir of lateral, dusky lines. In its usual position of rest, the larva keeps the head and thoracic segments all humped together. The cocoon is very slight, formed on the surface of the soil,inuler a leaf or stem for covering, and with particles of earth, &c., drawn in ; the pupa is three-eighths of an inch long, the thorax swelling above the line of the back, the eyes somewhat projecting, the abdomen tapering off gi-adually, and ending in a small blunt spike furnished with two large and six small spines with curled tips, by which the pupa is attached to the silk of the cocoon ; the colour briglit reddish, the abdomen deeper reddish, the spike dark bruvvn. — Jl'UN IIellins, Exeter : June 2>id, 1S7-1- 1874.1 S7 Natural Illslortf of Aslhcna Blomeraria. — To IMr. W. II. OrigR, of Bristol, is clue tlie credit of discovering the larva and food of this species, which has baflled us so long. In July last year Mr. Q^rigg took the moths in some immbcrs, and found them free to lay their eggs in chip boxes, and ho most kindly sent mc a good supply of them, together with information as to every kind of green thing that grew in their locality ; when, therefore, the larva? hatched they were supplied with leaves of all tlie trees and plants which liad been suggested, but they would touch none of them ; we then thought of lichens, and supplied them also, but with no better success ; all our young larvre died of starvation. However, in September, Mr. Grrigg visited the locality again, and, after a good deal of hard work, succeeded in beating from some wych elms gi'owing there a large number of Geometers ; most of them proved to be Abraxas tdmala, but with them ■were several othei-s of a smaller species, which, from their likeness to the larva of Venusia camhrlcaria, gave us great hopes. They were, however, horribly ichncu- moned, nine out of every ten being thus infested ; but, luckily, some three or four sound ones were secured, and this summer i*emovcd all doubt by appearing in tlie imago state as A. Blomeraria. Being now sure of the food, Mr. Grrigg again procured eggs this summer, and generously halved his supply with me ; but the young larva? in confinement arc so abominably restless aiul obstinate, that, although I had considerably more than a hundred eggs, I have been able to rear barely twenty-five larva;, and Mr. G^rigg not so many. No wonder we failed with them last season, when together with wych elm we gave them so many other sorts of food to choose from, for now, with nothing but the wych elm leaves in their bottle, I found they would not feed at all, but would continually crawl to the light, and entangle themselves together till they were starved : at last I shut them up with some twigs in a largo tin box, making tlie cover quite secure by stufling cotton wool all round, and left them to tlicmselves for some days, and in this way I managed to rear the number above mentioned. 1'his year (1871) the eggs were laid on July 9th and 11th, tlie larva; hatched on tlie 18tli and following days, and now as I write (August 1-lth) all ai'o in their last skin, and several nearly full fed. Last year (1873) I had the eggs during the last week of July and the first week of August, the larva; hatcliing from July 30th onwards, but living only a day or two : the larva;, nearly full fed, were captured during the last week in September, and the survivors among them changed to pupa; in a few days. From tlie manner in which the moth deposits her eggs in any crevice in the chip box, I imagine that in freedom slie would arrange them in small batches along the ribs on the under-side of the leaves, whicli in the wych clra arc very prominent, and I noticed that the larvae prefer to remain on the undei'-side of the leaves throughout llieir existence, carefully spinning a thread wherever they move ; in feeding, at first they eat ouly the uiuler-surfaec of the leaf, but by the time they arc a quarter of an inch long, they eat holes quite through the leaves, generally avoiding the ribs, at last reducing them almost to skeletons. The egg is small, somewhat brick-shaped, being long and flattened, but one end is squurer and thicker tlian the other; the shell glistening, and covered with a 88 ^September, diamond pattern of sitnk lines, eacli diamond having a central sunken dot ;* the eolour at first pale, afterwards rich deep yellow, with the edges still deeper, and a red tinge near the bigger end ; at last becoming again quite pale, but with a dark spot. The young larva escapes by eating out one end of the egg ; in colour it is whitish, with a purplish tinge in the front segments from the internal organs showing through ; as it grows it becomes quite shining white ; after the first moult it is glassy looking and translucent, with an internal green stripe through the body, probably caused by the presence of food ; when about three-eighlhs of an inch long it is uioi'o opaque, with the back whitish-green, a broad dark green sub-dorsal stripe, the head greenish- white, all the rest pale green ; the bristles conspicuous. Soon after attaining the length of three-eighths of an inch, it passes its last moult, and, after that, grows rapidly ; the markings are at first paler in the lighter portions, and darker in the dark portions, than they become afterwards. The fuU-fed larva is about three-quarters of an inch long, slender, but cylindrical and plump, of almost uniform size throughout, except that the head is narrower tlian the second segment, and the last three segments taper off both in width and in thickness ; the skin soft and rather glossy, wrinkled at the divisions, puckered along the sides, and set with a few hairs. The general colour on the back and sides is pale greenish-yellow, the belly slightly greener ; the crown of each lobe of the head is marked with a streak of crimson- brown ; tlie collar is shining ; on segments 2—4 is a long oval dorsal patch of pinkish or crimson-brown, widest on 3, and ending in a blunt point at the division between 4 and 5 ; through this runs a central thread of yellow, bordered with au edging of brown, darker than the patch, which has also a darker line running along just inside its outer cuiTed edged ; about the middle of 6, commences a pair of lateral blotches, which run through 7 and 8, of either rose-pink or crimson-brown, having a streak of darker brown just in the place of the sub-dorsal line ; these blotches have waved edges, which nearly meet at the segmental divisions both above and below ; through 5 — 11 inclusive, there is no dorsal line whatever, but on 12 and beginning of 13, in the place of the dorsal line, is a broad stripe of rose-pmk, bearing at each end a dark spot of crimson-brown : the spiracles roundish, but very hard to bo seen, being greenish-yellow on the ground colour, and brown on the coloured blotches ; so too with the usual warts, on tlie ground they are scarcely to be seen, but on the blotches they become prominent, shining, and dark brown. The above description applies to all the larva; I have reared this season, for there is scarcely any variation amongst them, but among the captured larva; last year there was a great deal; this was shown not only in the depth of colour of the blotdies, but also in their size, and by their abseuce ; one variety was greenish-yellow all over with no niiu-kings whatever; another had the blotcli on 2,3, and 1, and a dot on 12, and nothing else; another liad a dark dori^al spot in the middle of 5 ; another had a similar spot on G, almost coinieeting the lateral blotches ; the example had a dark spot on the side of the anal logs. The larva, last year, retired into the earth furnished thom for pujiation, ami there made weak, rouiulish, oval cocoons, nearly half an inch long, and formed of peaty fibres and eartli, spun together with a slight lining of silk. •" The egg of A.tandklata haa alsu this charjictur of beuiij embossed as it wei-c by a pattern of suuk iinca. ■ "1 89 Tlio pnpa is nbout ono-tliird of sm inch long, plump in clmraotrv, (ho ahdnmon tapering rather suddenly to a point, which ends in two si ight ly diverging curled-topped bristles, these last being attached to the threads that lino the cocoon ; its colour is a light reddish-brown ; the tumid margins of the wing-covers yellowish-ochreous ; the centres of the wings, and the antenna-cases, olive ; the tip of the abdomen Mack.— Id. : August Uik, 1874-. Capture of Noctua sohrina. — I have had the good fortune to discover a ncw^ locality for Noctua sobrina, in a heathy pLicc some distance south of Loch Tlannoch, Perthshire. Last spring I accidcntly found an injured larva of what was (from the description given m Mr. Stainton's Manual) so suggestive of 2V. sobrina, that I determined to woi'k for the perfect insect when due. I was rewarded by taking several specimens, and also by obtaining eggs which I duly sent to Messrs. Buckler and Hellins for future notes. I find this species exceedingly local in its habitat. — Joay T. Carringtok, Poole Eoad, Egremont, Birkenhead: August \st, 1871j. Capture of Paclmobia alpina. — I had the pleasure of capturing a specimen of this fine and rare species this summer in Perthshire. It was taken in the Breadal- banc division (as divided by Dr. White in his Fauna Ferthensis) , close to the summit of a mountain of upwards of 3000 feet in height. It may interest some of your readers to know that this was the only result of fourteen whole nights and several days spent at that height. I sugared each night, but it produced nothing but an occasional Noctua fesiiva. The nights spent at this altitude were alternate, the other evenings were occupied by sugaring in the valley where I stayed ; these latter sugarings produced many moths, so that the paucity of moths at sugar on the mountains could not be the result of a bad season. Considering the result, and the extreme discomfort of mountain tops at night, for I was many times enveloped in thick clouds for hours together, I do not think it worth while to work again for this cloud-loving species. I believe there are only four previous records of this species being taken in Great Britain, viz. : the two named in the "Manual; " a third, by Mr. Eedlo, on Schichallion, in 1870 ; and one bred from a pupa found while hunting for Coleoptera in Braemar in 1873 (vide ante, x, 88), by Mr. Allin. These may be called acci- dental captures, so I feel a little more pleasure in having gone for and obtained this species. — In. On the larva of Noctua subrosea. — From M. Bei'g's description (ti-anslated in your last number, p. G7) of the larva of the Russian Noctua considered to be a variety of subrosea by Dr. Staudinger, I am inclined to think it will prove to be a distinct species. I sent living larvrc of our subrosea to my friend M. Guence, who thus describes them: — " The caterpillar is very pretty : it is of a greyish -flesh colour, striated and " marbled with brown, with the vascular and sub-dorsal lines somewhat large, clearly " defined, continuous, straight, and of a citron-yellow speckled with brown ; the latter " sjjeckled on the lower part with reddish-yellow. The stigmatal line is very large, " of a pale sulphur-yellow, and surmounts a dt>ep brown ventral band ; stigmata "liVMWn • )ii':iil .•ciiu'iilnrniis willi two iliirlc iiiMi'ks." t)0 [September, The larva of onv species very much resembles the paler varieties of the larva of Jladena pisi. The specimens of the Russian moth ■which were shown to mc by Baron von Nolcken, -were very much smaller than our subrosea, and the superior -wings were strongly tinged with blue. Dr. Staudinger and M. Berg refer to Herrich-Schaffer's figures as representing the Russian form, but this is certainly an error ; they represent our subrosea, and I have little doubt that they were taken from specimens which originally belonged to mc, as I gave a number of specimens to the late M. Becker in 1848, which were captui'cd by Mr. English at Yaxley ; and a year or two afterwards I sent a scries of bred specimens to Ilerrieh-SchafEer. I do not think the Russian form was discovered when his figures were published. — Henry Doubleday, Epping : August 13tk, 1874. Note on Lobesia reliquana. — My friend, Mr. C. Gr. Barrett, has followed Professor Zcllcr and Dr. Wocke in the error into which they have fallen, in referring the reliqnana of Hiibncr to the Bolrana of the Vienna catalogue. Hiibner figured our insect under tte name of permixtana {Tort. No. 75), sup- posing it to be the species given under this name in the Vienna catalogue. He appears to have afterwards changed his opinion, as he figured another Tortrix under the name oi permixtana {Tort. No. 187), and in his catalogue gave our species the name of reliquana. The two species stand thus : — "No. 3637. — Ilemimene permixtana, Schiff., Verz., Tort., D. 19. Hiibn., Tort., 187." " No. 3674. — Asthenia reliquana. „ permixtana, Hiibn., Tort., 75." It is clear from the above extract that Hiibner applied the name of reliquana to our insect, and not to Botrana, W.V. — Id. Domestic Entomology : a word in season. — Cockroaches are doubtless necessary in the scheme of creation of this best of all possible worlds, and even from a merely human point of view, may in some sort be deemed usefid. They are said to be a certain remedy for the plague of bed-bugs, it having been averred by an eye-witness that the latter are the prey of the former, but most simple-minded persons would deem the remedy to be almost as bad as the pest. Apart from this consideration, seeing that BlattcB will and do exist in houses which are devoid of Acanthice, and that they ai'c then an unmitigated nuisance that rapidly increases, it is, I think, beyond controversy, desirable that it should be speedily diminished. The most tender- hearted maiden who, over her shrimps or lobsters without any feeling for their sufferings, inveighs against the cruelty of fly and beetle-butchers, will scarcely give the least sign of sympathy for slaughtered cockroaches, nor, however sensational the recital, could the reporter say " The wandering fair one turned to chide." And if the proposition of " Death to the Blattte " wei-e put to the vote at a meeting of metropolitan householders (in the parliamentary sense, for it may be disputed if in any other persons can be householders who share their tenements with such vagabonds), can it be doubted that the chairman would announce " The Ayes have it." Without ventui'ing to offer any opiuion on the merits of the various means 1874.] 01 advertised for getting rid of cockroaches — the efficacy of one of which, however, is i-endered doubtful by tlie announcement of its powers being headed by a fancy portrait of a stag-beetle as one of the noxious creatures — it may be of service to make known the following personal experience with a method that is not " Registered," nor " Patented," nor " Brevete' s.g.d.g." Several years since I read an extract from the Boston " Journal of C'liemistry " that cockroaches had an intense aversion to borax, and any place they frequented woidd be cleared of them if tlie powder were placed in their haunts. Circum- stances favoured an experiment, and in tlie course of two or three weeks I found that the prescription, used daily, had rendered my kitchen free from the hordes of these hexapod banditti that had long made their nocturnal raids there, their carcases every morning showing the havoc that had been made in their ranks. It has been said that " We murder to dissect," but I did not make any post-mortem examination of the "Subjects" to ascertain how the borax had effected them ; — I was satisfied they were dead. I may avoid the felonious imputation altogether by saying, as indeed has been said already, that in such a case " Killing is no murder." Eecently, I saw an extract from the American "Cultivator" to the following effect : — "No insect which crawls can live under the application of hot alum-water. It will destroy red and black ants, cockroaches, spiders, bugs, and all the other crawling pests which infest our houses. Take two pounds of alum and put it in three or four quarts of boiling water ; let it stand on the fire until the alum is melted, then apply it, while nearly boiling hot, with a brush to every joint and crevice in your closets, bedsteads, pantry-shelves, and the like. Cochroachcs will flee the paint which has been washed in cool alum-water. Powdered alum will keep bugs at a respectable distance, and travellers should always carry a bundle of it in their hand-bags to scatter over and under their pillows in hotels, &c. While staying at an hotel once, with a party, most of whom complained sadly of the nightly attacks of these dis- gusting insects, I was able to keep them entirely at bay by its use, and I distributed the contents of my bundle among the party, to their great relief." It should be pleasing to housekeepers, as well as to travellers, to know of the above cheap remedy for the house pests mentioned. But is it I'cal ? Possibly some liousekcepers may favour the world with the result of their experiments with the alum-cure in the matter of " cockroaches, ants, spiders, and all other crawling pests " — except bugs. These latter are things that no one will confess to having in his dwelling; — hotel and lodging-house keepers are virtuously iaidignant at the bare suspicion of such creatures, and will declare that the vennin, if found on their premises, must have been brought by tlie lodgers themselves. Once, indeed, I am told by a friend, that at an hotel in Paris, the cliamhri^re, on being shown a full- grown Acanthia on the bed in tlio month of April, merely said, with gi'cat naivete, " I never saw one so early;" but this was an exceptional admission. Yet some traveller, I hope, who has hitherto found, in more senses than one, " Ilib wannest welcome at an inn," will have no couipunelion in telling us if he has tried llic effect of ahim-po\Ml<'r JJ2 lbui)tenilKi , ])lacud 111 liis bed (possibly not used only " on and under his pillow ") in getting hiiu a safe deliverance from " tlie terror that walketh by night ;" — and we will excuse the reticence of the housfkeepers.— J. W. Douglas, Lee : Jtdy 27halus taken by the same gentleman ; and Agrolera nemuralix from Abbot's Wood, Sussex, taken by himself. Mr. Bond exhibited minute parasites from a bat, probably identical with Argas jiipistrellce ; also Acari found on a fly, and Acarus-galls on leaves of damson : the galls being very numerous, but the fruit-bearing powers of the ti-ee not being thereby alTeeted. (Tlieso galls are probably the saiue ns those found on sloe ; and, according to Kaltenbacli, are the work of J'olvul/J'ix pniiii). Mr. W. C. Boyd exliibited two examples of Thccht ruhi from Sussex, having a pale spot iu each fore-wing. He remarked that he liad only seen two individuals of tlic species in the lacidity iu which they were captuied, and both were of tills ■ I'uliar variety. f)4, [Sc'iitembcr, Mr. Woniiald exhibited a eollectiou of Uuttcrflies from Japan, captured by Mr. H. Prycr. Mr. W. Colo exhibited leaves of ash affected by small dipterous larva; (probably CecidomyiaJ , which caused the two edges of the leaflet to turn upwards and meet above, thus assuming a pod-like form. They were from West Wickham. Mr. Champion exhibited Amara alpina, and other rare British Coleoptera, recently captured by him at Aviemore, Inverness-shire. Mr. Grut exhibited larva;, pupa;, and imago of a dipterous insect found in his house, attacking an old piece of Turkey carpet. The larva; were long, slender, and somewhat like a wire-worm. The pupse were enclosed in a kind of cocoon formed of particles of the wool of the carpet. Prof. Westwood thought the fly was probably a species of Scenopinus. Mr. F. Smith exhibited sand-cocoons found in a salt marsh near Weymouth. They were the work of a dipterous larva, and were found lying on the top of wet salt sand. Prof. Westwood said they were probably formed by Maclieritim mari- timtim, one of the DolichopodidcB. Mr. Butler exhibited a very rare book from the library of Mr. Janson, viz., Lee's " Coloured specimens to illustrate the Natural History of Butterflies," published in London, in 1806 ; the issue having been limited to a very limited number of copies. He gave a detailed account of the synonymy, &c., of the species figured. Prof. Westwood exhibited examples of Haltica (BatophilaJ cerata, which he had found to be very injurious to young leaves of garden-roses ; also portions of a ripe walnut attacked by a larva. Mr. McLachlan said that this was probably that of the acorn-moth (Carpocapsa splendana) , and Mr. Moore said that he had bred that Bpecies from a walnut. lie further exhibited and remarked on the yucca-moth (Prontiba yuccasella, Riley) bred by him from cocoons sent by Mr. Riley. The ex- istence of this insect appeared to be absolutely necessary for the fertilisation of the flowers of the Yucca, the pollen being collected on the peculiarly formed palpi, and transferred to the stigmatic surface as the insect passed from flower to flower, as detailed by Mr. Riley in several of his Reports on the Insects of Missouri. Prof. Westwood concluded by exhibiting a number of dark coloiircd honey-bees, found near Dublin, attacking a straw hive of ordinary bees. They were remarkably free from pubescence, and looking ragged and worn. He considered they were only a degenerated form of the hive-bee, and were probably identical with what Iluber calls " black bees," the existence of whicli had been scarcely noticed since his time. The Rev. H. S. Gorham read descriptions of new species of Endomychidee, supplementary to his " Endomycici Rccitati." Also remarks on the genus Ilelola, belonging to the NitidtilidcE, with description of a new species from Japan. Dr. Sharp communicated a siipplementary paper on new species of various groups of Coleoptera from Japan. Prof. Westwood read descriptions of new species of Cetoniidce, principally from the collection of Mr. Higgins, and accompanied by drawings. Part iii of the Transactions for 1874 was on the table. The President announced that the Library of the Society would, at present, remain at Bedford Row, pending the result of nogociations in progress for its removal to more suitable quarter:?. ^ i?:4.] 95 NOTES ON CICINDELTDM AND CARABIBM, AND DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES (No. 18). BY H. W. BATES, F.L.S., iic. Sub-family Siagokin^. COSCTXIA PICTTTLA, Sp. n. C.fascigercc (Cliaucl.) qffinis. Parva, setosa, ni/iflff,mffrfr,pnncfnta; el i/tris fascia hasali maculaque siitui'ali-apicaU sanguineis ; p)"^2^is,Iah)'o jycdibiisque fusco-fulvis ; antennis castaneis. Long. 2 lin. Of the flattened form of C. Semelederi, hut smaller, and tlie elytra distinctly punctate-striato, with a row of punctures down each inter- stice. In colour and size it approaches C. fuscigera, hut the red colouring of the elytra consists of a broadish l)asal belt and an oval spot over the suture near the apex ; a red sutural border sometimes connects the two, and the apical spot is also liable to be enlarged so as to extend to the margins. The head and thorax are covered with large separate punctures, and the dorsal line of the latter is very strongly impressed. Mesopotamia ; many examples. Apotomus xanthotelus, sp. n. A. rufo hrevior et convexior ; hand setosus ; atro-fuscus, suh-nifidus ; antennarum articulis duohus basal ibiis, pedibusque rirfo-castaneis, illarum articulis quatuor apicalibusjlavis; palpis fidvo-testaceis. Long. 1\ lin. Dull blackish-brown ; legs clear chestnut-red ; antenna) with the two basal joints reddish and the four apical ones yellow. The elytra are more convex than in A. rufus, and rather more strongly punctatc- stx'iated, with narrower interstices. The body appears destitute of erect hairs. Celebes (Wallace) ; two examples, in one of which the thorax is pitchy-red. Sub-family ScARiTiNiE. Carenum porphtreum, sp. n. G. smaragdulo (Wcstw.) affinc. Oblongo-ovatum, convc.vum ; ni- grum, nitidum, ihorace latissimo, late viyidi-limbato ; elgtris hete vio- laceis, viridi-marginatis, ovatis, IcBvibus, postice unijjunctatis ; tibiis anticis tridentatis. Long. 10 lin. Of the same form as C. smaragdidum. Anterior tibia? with a well- develo])e I third tootli, surmounted by two other denticulations. The QQ [September, 1874. head ia broad ; the frontal furrows short, commencing on a level with the middle of the eyes, and slightly diverging posterioi-ly ; the eyes less prominent than in G. Odeivahnii. The antenna? are rather slender, the apical joints gradually tapering. The thorax is very broad, as in G. Odeioahnii ; the hind margin is not lobed, and distinctly tri sinuate ; it has a very broad light green border, the inner edges of which are violet. The elytra are elongate-oval, not narrowed to the base, nor depressed near the suture ; the humeral angles have an elevated tooth ; there is a row of four ocellated punctures on each side of the base, and one discoidal puncture behind, but no trace of sculpture on the surface, which is of a rich violet, shading into green hi some lights towards the base and apex ; the margins, including the broad epipleur£©, being golden-green. The sternal segments and sides of the abdomen are also green. The labial palpi have their terminal joint only slightly dilated. West Australia. Caeenitm breviforme, sp. n. JBreviter ohlongo-ovatnm, nifjrum ; thorace ct cljjfris lateviridi-lim- hatis, his disco violaceis, striato-punetatis, postlce unijnmctatis ; capito maqno, sulcis frontalihus brevibus parallclis ; tibiis anticis tridentatis. Long. 7i lin. The terminal joint of the antennte is short and ovate. The thorax is twice as broad as long ; lunate, with prominent anterior angles, and a very short and rather narrow lobe in the middle of the base. Tlie elytra are extremely short, ovate, convex ; depressed at the suture, and with rows of shallow but large punctures, besides the single large discoidal posterior puncture ; the borders are broadly emerald-green, and the disc violaceous near the suture and green borders. The under- side is black. The anterior tibia; have three distinct teeth and two denticulations. West Australia. CaREKTTM SUBPLANA.TTJM, Sp. U. Gylindrico-oblongum, nigrum, nitidiim ; elytris oblongo-ovatis, cou- vexis, dorso planatis, postice bipunctatis, nigro-violaceis ; thorace pauJo transverso ; capite post oculos transvo'sim impresso, sulcis frontalibits 2inulo obliquis ; labro antice recto ; tibiis anticis bidentatis. Long. 71 lin. A s])ecics approaching in some of its characters JEufoma and Carenidium, but having the moderately dilated labial palpi and narrowed ■ 'otober, 1874.] 97 apical antenna! joint of Carenum. In form it most nearly resembles C. BoneUii, but it is ratlier narrower, and tbe elytra are more rounded at tlie slioulders and distinctly flattened for a considerable breadth on each side of the sutui'e, the limits of the flattening being distinctly marked. The head is similar in form, but presents several striking points of difference ; the transverse depression behind the eyes is deep and continuous right across ; the eyes are much less prominent ; the lobes of the clypcus in front of the eyes are not distinctly grooved, and lastly, the labrum is straight, or even somewhat emarginate, in front, with a row of distinct large punctures. The maxillary palpi have their terminal joint nearly linear. The elytra have no trace of sculpture beyond the posterior fovea and a cluster of ocellated punc- tures at the base, lying in irregular depressions, with the usual marginal punctures. The margins are thickened near the apex. Nicol Bay ; West Australia. Caeexum pla>'ipexxe, sp. n. Elongatum, parallelum, depressum, elytrorum dorso late fortiter planato ; nigrum, nitidum, thoracis marginibus angustis elytrisque omnino smaragdinis ; cajnte htto, rodundato ; suJcis frontal ihus longis, fori iter curvatis ; oculis hand prominulis ; thorace paulo transverso,hasi lohato ; elytris humeris elevato-dentatis, postice bipunctatis ; tihiis anticis li- dcntatis. Long. 10 lin. The head resembles much that of Carenidium, to which genus the species would belong, were it not that the labrum is not emarginatcd, but trisinuate, and approaching that of the typical Garena. The labial palpi, too, are not so strongly dilated as in Garenidiiwi; but the max- illarios arc more dilated than in Carenum. The species, therefore, is a connecting liuk between the two genera. The body is elongate, parallel-sided and depressed, with the elytra flattened for a broad space on each side of the suture ; the colour is olive-black, m ith the margins of the thorax and the whole elytra clear green, the colour being duller along the centre of the latter. The antenna) are slender, with the apical joint tapering, and the sides of the joints only densely pubescent. The frontal furrows are curved, and so strongly impressed that the lateral intervals resemble orbits, and the eyes are not promi- nent. The thorax is a little broader than long, parallel-sided until near the base, where it is sinuate-angustate to the distinct basal lobe. The elytra are retuse at the base, with rather advanced and dentate shoulders, the lateral margins are thickened as in Eutoma ; the surface 98 [ October, is smooth, and tliere is a row of three or four ocellatcil punctures at the base. The metasternal episterna are very sliort. The ventral segments have each two punctures. Nieol Bay ; West Australia. Neocarenum ctlindeipeicne, sp. n. N. elo7igato angustior ; nigrum, nitidum ; ehjfris quam thorncc multo angiistiorihus, omnino transversim rugosuJis, punciis ocellatis sub- marginalihus seriatim ordinatis. Long. 11 lin. Apparently closely allied to N. riigosulum, "W. McLeay, but differs in the frontal furrows being remarkably deep, AT. rugtisoJum having " capite leviter bisulcato ;" and also in the absence of all trace of elytral strise. The head is similar to that of N. elongatmii, the frontal furrows being deep, strongly flexuous, widely divergent behind, and connected at their ends (on a level with the posterior margin of the eyes) by a transverse furrow. The eyes are enclosed behind by a thin orbit, which does not project beyond them. The surface of the head is smooth and shining. The thorax does not differ from that of N. elongatum. The elytra are much narrower than the thorax, nearly cylindrical, very slightly narrowed to the base, with the humeral angles scarcely advanced, and the suture not depressed ; the whole surface is covered with short and very irregular shallow wrinkles, coarser near the sides, where they obscure the sub-marginal row of large ocellated punctures. The anterior tibise are bidentate, the middle tibiae uni- spinose ; the suture between the second and third ventral segments quite obliterated in the middle. The antennae are glabrous, with the fifth to eleventh joints coarsely punctured and pubescent on their edges ; the terminal joint tapers to the tip. AVest Australia. K^EOCAEEXrM RETL'SUM, S/J. 11. JElongatum, latior, minus convexum, nigruvt, suhfili.fsime coriaccum, vix nitidum ; elytris hasi valde retusis, humeris sub-faleatis, punctis sub- marginalibus null is ; fibiis anticis extiis tridentatis, subtus valdc dcntatis, intermediis bispinosis. Long. 11. ^ lin. The head in this remarkable species resembles that of A\ elonga- tum, with the exceptions that the lateral lobes project much more, niid are more angular in front of the eyes, and that the posterior orbits project beyond the eyes ; the frontal furrows are similar, but the transverse furrow behind continues laterally to the hind margin of the eye. The antenna? are still more glabrous, and the joints 5 — 11 have strong punctulated grooves on their edges. The thorax is rather shorter and broader, with rectangular a,jiterior angles, and acither an- 1874.^ 99 tei'ior nor basal fovcfp. Tlic elytra are as wide as tlie thorax, very obtusely rounded and abruptly declivous at the tip, depressed on tlie back and broadly rctuse-concave at tbe base, with projecting shoulders, the tooth of which is somew^hat curved laterally as well as upwards ; they are uniformly and minute coriaceous, without the usual lai'ge punctures. The anterior tibias have three teeth, and the usual denticu- lations on the carina beneath are enlarged into two broad conspicuous teeth. The middle tibiae have two long and strong spines. The mcta- thoracic episterna are very remarkably small and rounded. The maxillary palpi are very slightly dilated (labials wanting). Nicol Bay. EuTOiri. CAViPExxE, sp. n. Gmcile, angushim, nitidum; cnpite valde exserto, ovato, oculis miJlo moclo 2'>'>'omimdis ; tliornce nigro, late viridi-marginato ; elytris dorso valde depressis, Icsvissimis, inqjioictatis, violaceis, marginihus (Jbasi et apice dilatatis) viridihus. Long. 7 Zm. The head is very different from that of ^. tinctilatum and splen- didum ; the eyes being flat or even sunk, so that the form is ovate, broadest before the eyes and gradually narrowed behind to the thorax ; the space between the exterior teeth of the epistoma is narrow and deeply concave ; the frontal furrows are narrow^ flexuous, scarcely divergent, and do not reach the level of the hind margin of the eyes ; the surface is glossy, smooth and black, with the sides of the neck violet or blue. The thorax is rather smaller and narrower than the head ; black, with broad brilliant green border. The elytra are of the width of the thorax, and about as long as head and thorax taken to- gether ; they have a small triangular emargiuation at the base of the suture, and a broad concave depression down the middle ; there is no trace of stria) or punctures ; the usual ocellated points on each side of the base are one, or (sometimes) two, very large, and the marginal punctures are also large and widely separated : the colour of the whole disc is rich violet, with brilliant green basal, apical and lateral* borders, but sometimes the green borders arc muclx wider. Tlie under-surface and legs are shining black. AVest Australia. Caeexidium sapphirixum, sp. n. G. gagatino hrcvior, magis ova turn ; convcxiim, nitidum, Icete cceraleo- viulaceum, marginihus viridihus ; suhtus viridiceneum ; capite alutaceo ; thorace transverso, rotundato, bast lohato ; elgfris ovatis, suhtilissime j>uiictuIato-striatis. Lonq. 12 tin. 100 [October, Head very similar to tliat of C. gagatinum, frontal sulci very deep, widely divergent behind and extending mucli beyond the eyes, tlie latter prominent but encased bebind in wide orbits ; labrum deeply emarginated in a curve. Thorax much shorter than in G. gagatinum, and more regularly rounded ; the middle of the base forms a distinct, short, truncated lobe. The elytra are ovate, with shoulders entirely efFaced, convex on their surface, with lateral margins not at all thickened. The anterior tibife have two long teeth ; the middle tibise one short spine. Nicol Bay ; West Australia. Teeatidium, g. n. Corpus maxime elongatum. Talj^i maxillares et lahiales apice di- latissimi ; caput rotundatum ; sulci frontales vix imp)ressi, hrevissimi, postice convergentes. Tihice anticcs unidentatce ; intermedice extus sim- plices. Elytra hasi utrinque plicata, marginihus lateralihus incrassatis ; disco impunctato. Metasternv/ni hrevissimum. The extraordinary insect for which this new genus is necessary, agrees with Monocentrum only in the absence of the usual tooth or teeth of the anterior tibiae above the apical one ; but the excessive dilatation of the terminal joint of the maxillary (as well as of the labial) palpi and the very short faint frontal groves, form very distinct and peculiar characters. The head is broader than the thorax, rounded and obtuse in front ; the four teeth of the clypeus are of equal size ; the labrum bisinuate, prominent in the middle. The antennae are naked, with a few large punctures on the margins of the joints. The eyes are large and prominent, encased behind in broad orbits. The thorax is much longer than broad, oblong, but narrowed behind and a little sinuate-angustate near the base. The elytra are cylindrical, but appear broadened behind, owing to the excessive thickness and width of the marginal rims, which, at the sutural apex, are overlapped by a lobular projection of each elytron ; they are slightly narrowed to the base, which has on each side a transverse wheal, posterior to which is a depression containing eight or nine ocellated punctures, but the de- clivous base itself has no such punctures ; the shoulders have a very pi'ojccting tooth, and the base at the suture is concave. TERATIDirM MACROS, Sp. II. Nigrum, suh-nitidum. Lonq. 13| Jin. To the above detailed generic deeoription it mny l)o ndded that 1S74.] lOl the marginal row of ocellatcd punctures is not on the extreme margin as in Carenum, nor moved towards tbe diac as in Neocaremim, but lies just above the marginal furrow. Tbo ventral segments Lave no punc- tures, and the suture between tlae second and third is complete. Nicol Bay. Obs. — All the above new species of the Carenum group were ob- tained from the reserved collection of M. Du Boulay, in which they were nearly all represented by single specimens. From the same col- lection I obtained other species, allied to the common G. marginatum and C. Bonellii, but it is almost impossible to ascertain whether some of the numerous descriptions published by Mr. W. MacLeay and Count Castelnau do not apply to them. Bartholomew Eond, Kentish Town, N.W. : Juli/, 1874. ON A NEW FAMILY OF EUEOPEAN AQUATIC COLEOPTERA. BY D. SHABP, M.B. Some few weeks ago I received a letter from Dr. Lcconte, of Philadelphia, in which he enclosed two specimens of a minute Coleop- terous insect. These two specimens had been captured by the late Mr. Gr. E. Crotch in Southern California, and Dr. Leconte specially directed my attention to them as being of great interest, inasmuch as he considered them to be representatives of a new family of Clavicorn Coleoptera. When the specimens reached me, they had unfortunately entirely lost their heads and thoraces ; nevertheless, the insect inter- ested me even more than Dr. Leconte had anticipated ; for I felt sure, from the fragments that had reached me, that not only was it the representative of a new family of Coleoptera, but that that family was an inhabitant of Europe as well as of North America. I accordingly wrote to Dr. Leconte, informing him of the accident that had occurred to his specimens, and of my suspicion that an allied insect was a native of Europe, and, on receipt of my letter, he was so kind as to forward me two other specimens of his Uijdroscapha nataiis, as well as a proof slij) of his description lliercof. I lliiuk it well to preface my obser- vations on this insect by giving verbatim Dr. Leconto's description of it. " HYDKOSCAPnA, n. fj. {Hydroscaphidcc) , Lcconte. " Head moderately large, eyes lateral, coarsely {:jranulatcd, somewhat transverse ; antenna; scai-cely longer than the head, inserted inider the edge of the front, with Bcvon distinct joiuts ; Ist stouter, 2ud and 3rd each as long as the first, but narrower, 102 [October, 4th to Gth together shorter than 2ncl and 3rd iniited, gradually wider, 7th about as long as the 2nd and 3rd united, elongate oral, scarcely wider than the 6th, with au indistinct transverse suture near the base, and another very near the tip, which is sub-acute. "Labrum transverse, rounded in front concealing the mandibles. Maxillfe large at the base (lobes not examined), maxillary palpi less than half as long as the antennae, Ist and 4th joints long, 2nd and 3rd vmited equal to either of the others, not dilated ; mentum trapezoidal, rather large, broader than long, wider in front ; ligula rather large, eniarginate, palpi short, rather stout, 2nd and 3rd joints broader and shorter than the 1st. " Presternum very short, hardly visible, front coxse transversely conical, conti- guous, trochanters large, cavities narrowly closed behind ; middle coxro separated;; small, mesosternxim protuberant ; metasternum large, side-pieces narrower and pointed behind, hind coxae widely separated, laminate, the plate curved in arc of circle behind, and half as long as the Ist ventral. " Abdomen conical, with six free segments, 1st large, longer than the four fol- lowing united, which are equal in length, but rapidly narrower ; Gth equal to the four preceding united, rather longer than wide, concave and emarginate behind, with two anal filaments equal in length to the segment itself. " Legs short, front tibise somewhat thickened at tip ; tarsi slender, rather shorter than tibiae, apparently 4-jointed, Ist and 2nd joints short, 3rd equal to them united, 4th equal to the others imited, claws rather long and slender. " Body small, scaphiform, rounded in front, nan-owed behind, convex, elongate, and shining. Head rather large ; prothorax nawower in front, with dcflexed angles, base truncate, not margined. Scutellum small. Elytra without striae, slightly punctulate, broadly truncate at tip. Abdomen projecting somewhat behind the elytra, with three segments visible, conical, not margined at the sides. " H. NATANS. — Oval, narrower behind, convex, black or brown, shining ; head and prothorax nearly smooth, elytra sparsely and finely punctulate ; an- tenna; and legs testaceous. Length, less than '5 mm., = "02 inch.* " Found abundantly by Mr. Crotch at Los Angeles in the river. Mr. Crotch informs me that this very singular insect resembles in appearance some of the species oi Limnelius. It greatly differs from that genus, as from all other Hydrophilidce , by the laminate and widely separate hind coxae, and by the peculiar abdomen. It seems to me another of the synthetic types gi'adually becoming known to us among the smaller and more obscure fonns, connecting several different families of the Clavicorn scries ; in this instance, the Si/drophilidce, Scaphidiidce, and perhaps the Trichoptert/gidce. In the accepted aiTaugement of Coleoptera, it must bo considered as indicating a new family." — Lcconte. I have made a tolerably careful examination of the specimens of tlie above insect sent to me by its able dcscriber. So far as I can follow bis description, I am enabled to confirm it, with tbe exception of one or two points. I bavo convinced myself fully that the antennje of the above described JET. nutans arc eight-jointed, and the tarsi only three-jointed. Considering this latter point of importance, I have * This i.s, of course, a misprint ; the spccimciis sent by Dr. Lcconte are about half a line in leugth, = 04 inch.— n. S. 1874.] 103 separated the legs, aud examined them both in iluid and Canada balsam. 1 would therefore propose to supplement Lecoute's description with the following remarks : Antennoo 8-joiiited, 1st joint much stouter and distinctly longer than the following one, 2nd joint slender at the base, slightly longer than the 3rd, joints 3 — 7 differing very little from one another, each just a little shorter and scarcely broader than the predecessor, the sutures separating the joints broad (or, in other words, the base of each joint accurately adapted to the extremity of the preceding one, so that the outline of the antenuie is scarcely at all notched), the suture between the 7th and 8th joints probably not admitting of motion, 8th joint elongate, rather longer than the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th joints together. Mesosternuni widely separating the middle coxte, and similar in form to the same part in Megasternum holeto'phagum. Front and middle tibise armed externally with stout spines. Tarsi 3-jointed, 1st joint rather shorter than 2nd, 3rd fully as long as 1st and 2nd together (this is drawn from the middle and hind tarsi ; the front tarsi arc much shorter than the others). Hind-body elongate and pointed, with the segments very retractile. So much for the American insect. Directly I looked at the specimens sent by Dr. Leconto, I saw they were closely allied to a minute species I captured some years ago in Spain, and I have accordingly compared the Spanish with the C'aliforniau examples, as well as with Dr. Lecontc's description, and I find the two insects to be congeneric, and moi'cover, to be two closely allied species of the same genus. The following short characters will enable the European Hydroscapha to be identified. Htdroscapha Ckotciii, s/?. n. — Pitchy-testaceous, shining, sub-depressed, legs and antennae yellowish ; head and thorax almost smooth, elytra very obscurely punctured, but the punctuation at their apical part distinct though very fine. Length, less than half a line. This insect is closely allied to II. nutans, Lee, but is smaller, narrower, and very much more depressed. It was captured by the late Mr. G. 11. Crotch aud myself in the pools of \\ ater by the side of the Manzanares in the suburbs of Madrid. During life, the hind-body is distended, but, except for this fact, the inscet bears a singular resemblance to a minute species of Limnehius, in company with which it is found — the Limncbius being abundant, tlic Hydroscapha scarce. The Limnehius was sent by mo to M. Pan- delle some time ago, and was pronounced by him to be the Limnehius cvanescens of Kieseuwetter. Kieseuwetter'a description (Berl. Ent. Zeit., 1805, p. ;375) of L. evanescens consists of only nine words, and they are not applicable to the Limnehius in (lucstion, though it is pos- 104 lOctoljcr. siblc they might be intended to apply to the HydroscapTia. These facts suggest, therefore, the possibility that Sydroscapha Crotchi may have been hurriedly described as a Limnchius. Von Heyden (Berl, Ent. Zeit. 1870, Beiheft, p. 71) has supplemented Kiesenwetter's de- scription of L. evanescens by a longer one ; but it is still uncertain to me whether it is drawn from the Hydroscapha or a species of Limne- hius. There is another sjDecies stated to be allied to Limnehius evan- escens, viz., Limnehius gyrinoides, Aube (Grenier, Cat. Mat., p. 127), from the South of France and Asia Minor, and it appears to me pro- bable that the words in the description " extremite du corps depassant I'abdomen (sic) et termines par deux petites raides en dessous," {sic) might likely enough, notwithstanding their absurdity, have been drawn from a Sydroscapha. Under these circumstances it is, at any rate, probable that the genus in the old world has a pretty wide distri- bution, and it is therefore premature to remark on the geographical distribution of the two species composing it. I hope the Madrid entomologists will be able to give us informa- tion as to the habits of the Sydroscapha Crotchi, and particularly to inform us to what extent it is really aquatic in its habits. As regards the affinities of the family, I shall not attempt to re- mark more than that I do not consider the points in which it approaches the SydrophiJidce to be of great importance, and tiiat it does not show any tendency to possess those characters which are most dis- tinctive of and peculiar to the family Sydrophilidce. On the other hand, I am inclined to think that its affinities with the Trichopterygidce may be more important than Dr. Leconte has expressed : for the wings of Sydroscapha appear to me to show a decided approach to the pecu- liar structure of those organs in the Trichopterygidce. I have forwarded a pair of Sydroscapha Crotchi and one specimen of S. natans to the Eev. A. Matthews, in hopes that his skill as a dissector of minute Coleoptera will enable him to give us a full description of the trophi ; and I trust he will also inform us what his ideas are as to the affinities of the family with the Trichopterygidce. Thoriiliill, Dumfries : September, 1874. DESCEIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES OP LYC^NIDJE FEOM SOUTH AMERICA. - BY w. c. nEwrrsoN, f.l.s. I am indebted for the insects described below to the generosity of Mr. Gcrvase Mathcw, of the Eoyal Navy, who collected them during a cruise of H. M. S. " Kepulse " in the pacific. 1874.) 105 Thecla Sedecia. Upper-side : ^ , autcrior wing grey-browu, with a large dark brown discal spot ; the space between it and the inner margin white. Pos- terior wing white, with two tails ; the lobe rufous ; two spots at the base of the tails and the outer margin black. Under-side : white, with the basal half of both wings grey, bounded outwardly by a band of rufous-brown. Anterior wing with two sub- marginal series of pale brown spots. Posterior wing with one sub-marginal series of similar spots ; the lobe black, the caudal spots as above. Exp. 1^ inch. Hab. Mexico. This and the following species, though very distinct, have a general resemblance to T. Daraba. Thecla Chonida. Upper-side : ^, grey-brown. Anterior wing with a large dark brown discal spot. Posterior wing with one tail; the anal half white, the lobe rufous ; two black caudal spots, and the outer margin black. Under-side : cinereous. Both wings crossed beyond the middle by a linear band of white, bordered inwardly by orange, and by a sub- marginal series of white spots. Posterior Aving with the lobe and one caudal spot bordered above with orange. Exp. 1^ inch. Hab. Mexico. Thecla CrnniANA. Upper-side : ^ , dull lilac-blue, the fringe rufous. Anterior wing witli a small rufous discal spot. Posterior wing prolonged at the anal angle with one minute tail. Under-side : rufous-brown, clouded with dark brown beyond the middle of the posterior wing. Anterior wing with a band in the cell, a band at the end of the cell bordered outwardly with white, and a spot near the apex all red-brown. Posterior wing crossed o]di(|uely by three equidistant bands of the same colour. Exp. l./i, inch. Hab. Peru. Nearly allied to T. Falegon. Thecla Ceitola. Upper-side : c? , ultramarine-blue. Anterior wing with a large 1)lack discal spot. Posterior wing with two tails. IQQ [October, Under-side : cinereous, undulated with brown to beyond tbe middle, bounded on the posterior wing by a series of pale orange spots, fol- low ed by a broad band of paler colour. Exp. Vo inch. Hab. Mexico. Very unlike any other species. Thecla Mathewi, Upper-side : ^ , anterior wing dark brown, with the inner margin cerulean-blue. Postei'ior wing with two tails, cerulean-blue, w-ith the costal margin broadly brow^n. Under-side : grey-brown, tinted with orange on the anterior wing. Both wings with a linear sjjot at the end of the cell ; both crossed beyond the middle by a scarlet band bordered outwardly with white ; the W of the posterior wing distinct ; both w'ings with a sub-marginal brown band broken into spots, bordered with white on the posterior wing. Posterior wing with the lobe and caudal spot black, bordered above with scarlet. Exp. 1 inch. Ilab. Mexico. I have named this species after its captor. Thecla Cvphaha. Upper-side : ^ , anterior wing dark brown with a rufous space at the anal angle. Posterior wing with two tails, rufous-orange, with the base and outer margin brown. Under-side : ferruginous to beyond the middle, grey beyond it ; both W'ings crossed by an orange band, bordered outwardly with white, both Avith a sub-margiual linear band of dai'k browui ; the lobe and caudal spot black, bordered above with orange, below with white. Exp. 1 inch. Hab. Panama. Nearest to T. Hugon. TUECLA QUADEIMACULATA. Ujyper-side : ^ , dark brow'n. Both wings with a large orange spot beyond the middle. Underside : cinereous. Both wings crossed by a band of dark brown spots, short, and near the apex of the anterior wing ; central, and very irregular on the posterior wing ; both -nnngs with a sub- margiual series of dark brown spots. Anterior wing with the orange spot as above. Posterior wing w ith an indistinct yellow spot near the outer margin. Exp. : c?, 1*5 ; ? , 1t% inch. llab. Chili. 1874.. 107 LyciENA Lyenessa. Upper-side : $, ceruleau-bluc, wdtli the outer margin black, the fringe alternately black and white. Underside : pale grey. Anterior wing orange, crossed beyond the middle by a band of five black spots, the costal and outer margins grey. Posterior wing marked by a large triangular brown spot with its apex towards the apex of the wing ; two black spots near the base of the costal margin, and two or three near the anal angle. Exp. ih inch. Hab. Chili. Oatlands, Weybridge : September, 187'li. NOTES ON BEITISH TENTHREDINIDJE, WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF NEMATUS. BY V. CAMERON, Jum. Nematus alnivoeus (Ilai'tig). I have long possessed a Nematus that I never could identify, and considered it to be undescribed. On sending a type to Dr. Van Vol- lenhoven for his opinion thereon, he informed me that this is actually the case : it being, however, the species mentioned by Hartig (Stett. Zeits., i, p. 27) under the name of Nemaius ainivorus. As apparently no proper account of it has ever been published, I have drawn up the following description of the $ , the only sex known to me. Antennre a little shorter than the body, black ; the third joint slightly longer than the fourth, the remaining joints becoming gradually shorter. Head entirely black, shining, and minutely punctured ; the mandibles reddish. The thorax and abdomen are entirely shining black ; the tegula; greyish-white ; the sheath of the saw hairy. Wings scarcely hyaline, having a faint smoky hue in the centre ; the ncrvures fuscous ; the costa and stigma fuscous with a testaceous tinge. The first sub-marginal nervuro is either absent or very faint ; the second recm-rent nervurc is received a little in front of the second sub-marginal one ; and the second sub-marginal cell has a minute black dot at its lower end. The feet are reddish, with the apical joints of the four anterior, and almost the whole of the posterior tarsi, as well as the apices of the posterior tibia;, and the calcaria, black. The spurs are bifid. Long. 2i lines. It has a considerable resemblance to Hcmichroa hiridircnfris, Fall., but it wants the white line on the pronotum, the tibia) and trochanters are not whitish, and the wings are clearer, while the difference in the neu- ratiou of the wings at once distinguishes them. Ilerr Brischke has, in his "Abbildungcn und Beschrcibungcn der Blattwespen-Larven," p. 12, doubtfully adopted the name of ainivorus for H. luridiventris. N. alnicorus seems to be common in .Scotland, appearing during May and June, in the vicinity of willows. Here it occurs at Cadder Wilderness and Fossil Marsh, and 1 have likewise captured it in Htratli Glass and Kinlail. 108 [October, CffiNONETJiiA Dahlbomi, Thoms. This season I have captured, in Cadder Wilderness, both sexes of Coenoneura Dahlbomi, and, as Herr Thomson does not mention the <^, it may be useful to point out its distinctive characters. The antennae are fuscous or fuscous-black, with the two basal joints white ; the thorax is bright testaceous above with two broad black bands on each side of the cenchri, and encircling them ; the sides are black, in- termixed with brown, and across the breast there is a black band. The abdomen is coloured like the thorax, with the exception that the colour is paler, and the dorsal sui'face has a varying number of broad black transverse bands, which, in some examples, are nearly joined to- gether. The wings have the nervurcs much paler than in the other sex ; those at the base of the wings, as well as the costa and stigma, ax'e testaceous. In none of my specimens can I observe a trace of the first sub-marginal nervure. The ? also varies in colouration, some examples being quite black, whilst others have the thoracic sutures, and the abdomen above and beneath, more or less reddish. All that I have seen have the antennae quite black ; but Thomson mentions that the basal joints are often pale. One of my specimens is only half the usual size. Altogether, it seems to be a very variable insect, and this variability evidently extends to its time of appearing, for it is met with during June, July, and August. Tasokus glabbatus, Fallen. How and where the eggs are deposited by the female saw-fly I have not been able to discover, although, from the fact of having found larvae that could not have been more than a day or two out of the egg, feeding close to the mid-rib on the under-side of the leaves of the food-plant, Polygonum listorta, I suspect that they are laid there. The usual habit of the larva ia to remain on the under-side of the leaf, with its body curled up in a ring, having the anal segments slightly elevated. In this position it eats either circular holes in tbe centre of the leaf, or feeds along its edges. Two broods occur in the year ; the first during June and July, the second from August to the beginning of October, and this last generation appears to be the larger. In my breeding pots, the larvae cither passed into the pupa state exposed in the soil, or more usually bored into the cork of the bottle in which they were confined. In a state of nature it is their habit to bore into the stems of plants : they never, I believe, spin cocoons. ^. 1874. 109 The larva lias the upper part of the head brownish-black, divitled at the top by a paler stripe (but Bome want this pale baud, whilst others have the back portion also pale) ; the lower part is whitish- gx'cen, with a somewhat semi-circular fuscous or pale brown mark in the centre of the face ; the mouth is deep brown ; the mandibles darker. The black eyes are situated in the pale portion. The feet are glassy-white ; the thoracic feet have the claws and the joints next to these pale brown. Each of the body segments (except the fifth) is provided with a pair of feet — twenty-two in all. The upper part of the body to the spiracles is dark drab-green, assuming a brighter tint when the creature is filled with food ; the remainder is white. The body is of the ordinary Tenthredo type ; the skin closely wrinkled. The usual length of the larva is about nine lines. The pupa is bright glassy-green, with the wings, antenna?, and feet white. In addition to describing fjlahratiis (under the name of Allantus agilis, Kl.), Stephens gives another species of Taxonus — T. rujipes, Ziegler — which Mr. Smith also, in his Nomenclature of British Ilymenoptera, adopts as a distinct species ; but, from the description, I should say that it is merely glahratus without the bronzy tint, for otherwise there seems to be no difference between the two. 136, West Graham Street, Glasgow : Wth September, 1874. British oalc-gaUs. — In the Entomologists' Annual for 1872, Mr. Albert Miiller gave twenty-two species of CynipidcB as depcnclcnt upon the oak in Britain, all of whicli I have found in this neighbourhood, with the exception of Biorhiza aptera, Triffonaspis meffaj)tera, and liryophanta longiventris. Two of these species, viz. : B. aptera and D. longiveutris, I have no doubt occur here, but I have at pi-esent failed to find them ; as to ^. aptera, I have had but little chance, not having met with any uprooted trees ; A. radicis, the other root-gall of the oak, I have found rather commonly at the roots of hedge-stubs. Since the publication of Mr. Miiller's paper, four other species of oak Cynipidce have been added to the British fauna, viz. : Andricus qtiadrilineatus, Hart., A. amenti, Gir., and Spathogaster vesicatrix, Schl., by Mr. Traill (E. M. M., x, 39 and 85) ; and Aphilothrix solitaria, Fonsc. (= C.ferruginea, Hart.), by Mr. Cameron (E. M. M., X, 85) ; of these I have found A. quadrilineatus hero abundantly this spring. I now add descriptions of four ofher species found here, one of wiiich — A. globuli — has been recorded as British by myself in the Entomologist (vii, 24). Drt/ocosmus cerrijyJiilus, Gir. — I found a cluster of old fallen galls of this species at the root of an oak — Q. pedunculata — here on the 22nd of June Inst. Dr. Mayr says : " this rare gall is only found on Q. cerris," and he, like myself, liad only seen 110 [October, old galls, but it is well described by Giraud in liis paper on galls (Ycrh. Zool. Bot. Q-esell., ix, 354) : his descriptiou is too long to bo translated. I hope to find fresh galls and breed the insect, but have failed to find any more traces of it at present. Dr. Griraud erected the new genus Dri/ocosmus for this insect, on the shape of the scutellum in the imago, which he only obtained by cutting them out of the galls, only breeding Synergi and ChalcididcB in the natural way. Aphilothrix glohuli, Kart. (N. E., yii, 24). — This is one of the bud-galls of the oak of which, I believe, wc have several species in Britain. It is green ; and, being found in the late autiunn and winter, is easily seen in the terminal shoots contrasting with the brown twigs and bud scales. Bald, almost round, terminating at the apex in a small point, seated rather deeply in the bud, but falling to the ground when mature. The gall-fly appears in February according to Hartig, but, although I found the galls commonly, and collected many specimens, I failed to breed the Aphilothrix ; probably the inner gall withered through being collected too early. I found the galls in the beginning and middle of December in the Hadleigh Woods near here. Aphilothrix albojmnctata, Schl. — It was on the 3rd of July this year that I first noticed some rather large bud-galls on the one-year-old twigs of Q. peduneulata stubs ; tliese were the galls of A. albopunctata. They do not appear to occur on trees, as I have searched for them there repeatedly without success ; some of the galls were empty as early as that date, their inmates, most probably parasites, having emerged. The galls are mostly dark green in colour, but some two or three were of a bright cream colour, probably bleached, of a conical shape, with slightly raised striae from the apex to the base, and frosted with white spots in some specimens ; they occur on the twigs, and are only surrounded just at the base by the small bud scales, so that they can easily be seen when looked for where they occur. I found two double specimens, otherwise the galls arc monothalamous. From fifteen galls I have bred thirty-two insects, all parasites, viz. : sixteen Si/nergiis facialis, Hart, (seven