Lepidoptera at Wicken Fen.-From May 27th to 31st I spent at Wicken, collecting chiefly on the Fen. Meliana flammea was common, but most of the specimens I took were much worn; it had evidently been out some time, indeed, a local collector told me he had taken a wasted example so early as May 13th. Papilio Machaon was also plentiful, and certainly showed no sign of dying out as yet at Wicken. On Whit-Monday, the 29th, it was flying freely even in a little wood about half-a-mile from the nearest point of the Fen. I found the eggs easily by searching the Peucedanum palustre on the Fen. Aretia urtica was just getting out; and Simyra venosa was not uncommon, but not easy to catch. Other species included Strenia clathrata; Coremia unidentaria, abundant (ferrugata was not observed); Phibalopteryx lignata, common and fine; Taniocampa gracilis, this is the common Taniocampa of the Fen, its young larvæ were feeding in the top shoots of the Spirea; Chilo phragmitellus, just appearing, I also took full-grown larvæ in the old reed-stems; Melia sociella, on palings at Soham; Halias chlorana, on the Fen, &c., &c.-GEO. T. PORRITT, Huddersfield; June 6th, 1882.

Argyrolepia Schreibersiana re-discovered.—On a warm still day, in the middle of May, I happened to be searching poplar trunks for imagos of Cerura bifida when I came across a handsome orange Tortrix, quite unknown to me. Continuing my search I found that the species was quite abundant, more especially on trunks of elm (Ulmus suberosa), in fact, I took some four dozen in much less than an hour. I sent a couple of specimens to Mr. Warren, of Cambridge, who took them to be Eupocilia gilvicomana, a mistake that Mr. Standish committed vice versa when he took gilvicomana. I next sent some specimens to Mr. Harwood, of Colchester, who immediately wrote to me suggesting that they were Argyrolepia Schreibersiana, an opinion in which Mr. Barrett, of Pembroke, concurred. Mr. Barrett writes, "Schreibersiana feeds on elm-so Ragonot tells me, and I think Zeller also. Herrich-Schäffer says on Prunus padus, first in leaves and then in twigs; Heinemann that it pupates under bark of trees.” I can fully confirm the observations of Heinemann, as the empty pupa cases stick out of the elm bark in considerable numbers. With regard to the locality I will only say that it is very limited in extent, and to disclose it would be to ensure the speedy extermination of the species. I will, therefore, go no further than to state that it is situate in "The Cambridgeshire Fens," that delightfully vague locality so frequently quoted in Mr. Stainton's Manual. I have visited the habitat of this species several times since I discovered it, but have purposely refrained from taking very many specimens. Mr. Stainton gives Yaxley and Cambridgeshire as localities, and I am not aware that it has been taken elsewhere, with the exception of a single specimen captured by the Rev. A. Wratislaw, near Bury St. Edmunds. I hope to work out the economy of this species during the season.-GILBERT HENRY RAYNOR, Hereward Hall, Ely: June 13th, 1882.

Ceropacha ridens and Taniocampa miniosa in Pembrokeshire.-Larva-beating on occasions of excursions of our local Field Club to woods in distant parts of the county last year resulted in the addition of two rather unexpected and interesting species to the local fauna, to wit, Ceropacha ridens and Tæniocampa miniosa, specimens of both of which have emerged this spring. Consequently, these woods have received some little attention during the past and present months, and larvæ of both

species have been found rather freely; those of miniosa feeding at first in small colonies on the outer branches of the oak trees, but afterwards, when shaken down by the prevalent gales, making themselves quite comfortable on stunted oak bushes underneath. Unfortunately, many were destroyed by parasites, and I fear more by their companions. Those of C. ridens were discoverable by looking up at the large bushes overhanging the wood roads in sheltered places, curled half round underneath the leaves. They are feeding so far quite satisfactorily.—C. G. BARRETT, Pembroke: June 14th, 1882.

Stigmonota nitidana in Pembrokeshire.-When beating for larvæ in a wood of singularly stunted oaks near the sea, on the 6th inst., a little dark Tortrix fell into the umbrella. Not having seen it alive for a good many years, I was well pleased to recognise the pretty little Stigmonota nitidana. Further beating showed that it was not scarce, but also that it was by no means inclined to fall quietly into an umbrella and be boxed; so the net was resorted to, and, after a short time, I found that it actually swarmed in a sunny spot, well sheltered from the rough wind then blowing. The pretty little creatures could be seen sitting on and running about the oak leaves in the sunshine, and by sweeping the leaves with the net, plenty were secured. Very few other Tortrices were seen. Roxana arcuana was not scarce, flying swiftly about the oak trees and bushes, and Ptycholoma Lecheana occurred rarely. A few Sericoris urticana were doubtless only the advance guard of approaching swarms.-ID.

Dipterous larvæ in the human subject.—At one of the meetings of the International Medical Congress, Dr. W. G. Smith stated that a girl, aged 12, presented herself with the following history. About three months before being seen by a medical man, an ovoid swelling appeared on the outer side of the right ankle, causing her some pain and uneasiness in walking. This swelling gradually shifted its position and slowly moved up the leg, thence towards the right axilla, then down to the elbow, and finally settled on the back of the neck. In this position a small dark spot appeared, an orifice formed, and when pressure was made around this opening, a white grub, nearly an inch in length, protruded and escaped along with some unhealthy pus. Several other similar swellings developed upon subsequent occasions under medical observation, and the medical man extracted other grubs, exactly similar to the first specimen. No cause could be assigned for these curious phenomena. The larvae were pronounced by competent authority to belong to a Dipterous insect, although the genus could not be satisfactorily determined. There was no sufficient proof of the existence of an Estrus peculiar to man alone. A good abstract from which the above is quoted appeared in the British Medical Journal, 1st October, 1881. I shall feel grateful to any of your readers who will give additional information or references.-WILLIAM E. A. AXON, Fern Bank, Higher Broughton, Manchester: June, 1882.

Two species of Nomada new to the British List.-I am glad to be able to add Nomada bifida, Thomson, and Nomada guttulata, Schenck, to our list of Hymenoptera. The former very closely resembles ruficornis but may be known by the bifid apex of the mandibles, those of ruficornis being sharply pointed; guttulata may be known by the three short black obtuse spines at the apex of the posterior tibiæ, there

is a good figure of the apex of the tibia in Dr. Schmiedeknechts' "Apidæ Europææ," pl. iii, fig. 8. I have several specimens of bifida, but unfortunately most of them have no note as to locality. A few males, however, have the locality Canterbury upon them, and I hear from Mr. Bridgman that he has specimens taken near Norwich; of guttulata I have only a single female, also without note of locality. It much resembles ochrostoma but is smaller and rather shorter, and the spines of the tibiæ are very different. I think, if Hymenopterists would direct their attention to this genus, we should probably further increase our list of species, as in many cases the distinguishing characters, though well defined, require careful searching for. Collectors would, therefore, do well to bring home all the specimens they see, as it is nearly impossible in the field to know for certain what species is under notice.— EDWARD SAUNDERS, Holmesdale, Upper Tooting: 14th June, 1882.

A Marine Caddis-fly.—Since the announcement published in Vol. xviii, p. 278, of this Magazine, I have received the materials forwarded by Prof. Hutton. These consist of a cylindrical, straight, tubular, moveable case, formed of coralline sea-weed, and a slide, on which is a larva (badly crushed), and the fragments of a pupa, from which the perfect insect was ready to emerge (not, as Prof. Hutton thought, the perfect insect itself). From the maxillary palpi I can identify it as being that of a of Philanisus plebejus, Walker (= Anomalostoma alloneura, Brauer), already known from New Zealand. According to the case, Philanisus should probably form an anomalous genus of Leptocerida. Full details, with figures,

will shortly appear in the Journal of the Linnean Society.

The Helicopsyche, so far as can be judged, appears to be congeneric with the forms that have been bred in Europe and in North and South America. There are cases with larvæ and pupæ, and two pupa emerged from their cases, but not transformed into perfect insects.-R. MCLACHLAN, Lewisham, London: 3rd June, 1882.

Reviews.

THE STUDENT'S LIST OF BRITISH COLEOPTERA; with Synoptic Tables of Families and Genera. Compiled by FRANCIS P. PASCOE. Pp. i-viii and 1—120, small 8vo. London: Taylor and Francis, 1882.

The author modestly styles this little book a compilation." Every Catalogue or List must of necessity be a compilation. But there are compilations and compilations. A clever compiler, with no knowledge whatever of the subject, may produce a very useful work, and sometimes more so than comes from the pen of one full to the brim with special knowledge, and also with opinions of his own. Possibly the best compilations are those made by writers who may be classed between these two extremes. Such a writer we consider Mr. Pascoe, so far as British Coleoptera are concerned. The "Student's List" cannot fail to be useful to all British Coleopterists, and its price places it within the reach of all. The ascending scale is adopted, therefore, it commences with the Coccinellida and ends with Cicindela. The old great divisions are retained. The tables for families and genera appear to be generally accurate, and form a novel feature that ought to prove useful to all who have acquired the rudiments of knowledge. Probably errors both of omission and commission may reward the labours of a critical investigator; we fancy that all such

discoveries would be gladly acknowledged by the author if communicated to him. The Preface is most distinctly not a compilation, but a very vigorous exposition of the author's views on the burning question of priority; he declines to be bound by any absolute rule, but deplores the changes constantly made. As this is the very latest of the somewhat numerous lists of British Coleoptera, it might have been useful had the author stated the number of species enumerated, for comparison with previous lists.

Our author is very severe on writers of “unrecognisable" descriptions. These are of two classes. Firstly, those by writers utterly incompetent (from want of knowledge) to perpetrate a description; secondly, those by writers fully competent, so far as knowledge is concerned, but who fail to impart that knowledge to others in an educational sense.

A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF FOSSIL INSECTS. By SAMUEL H. SCUDDER, republished from the Bulletin of Harvard University. Pp. 1-47. Cambridge, Mass., 1882.

A very laborious compilation of between 900 and 1000 references, with short explanatory notes to each; indispensable to all who are engaged in the study of this branch of Paleontology. In a short introduction Mr. Scudder explains that it was originally made for private use; he has done wisely in publishing it.

INSECTS INJURIOUS TO FOREST AND SHADE TREES. By A. S. PACKARD, Jun., M.D. Pp. 1–275. Washington: Government Printing Press, 1881.

Forms Bulletin No. 7 of the United States Entomological Commission. Decidedly one of the most valuable of the many publications on Economic Entomology that have issued from the pens of American entomologists, very copiously illustrated by excellent woodcuts. All the insects known to feed upon the principal trees are enumerated, and very many of the references form concise life-histories of particular species. Under "oak we find 214 references, under "elm " 43, under "pine" 102, under "birch" only 19, under "beech only 15, and so on. Of these, of course, only a few can be classed as really injurious insects. We commend this work alike to biologists and to foresters, and those having the care of public or private parks; these latter, however, should not suppose that the presence of wood-feeding beetles, &c., is the primary cause of trees being in a bad condition; it is probable the insects are often there because the trees are unhealthy.

ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON: May 3rd, 1882.-H. T. STAINTON, Esq., F.R.S., &c., President, in the Chair.

Dr. Evald Bergroth, of Helsingfors, was elected a Foreign Member, and Mr. Williams, Zoological Society, Hanover Square, an ordinary Member.

The President, in alluding to the death of Mr. Darwin, one of the original Members of the Society, and to the great loss entomology and natural science generally had sustained, mentioned that Mr. Darwin's connection with the Society occurred during the voyage of the "Beagle," the Society having been founded after his departure and before his return.

The Secretary read a letter from the "Epping Forest and County of Essex Naturalists' Field Club," asking the Members to sign a Memorial in favour of the Forest being retained in its wild condition, to which request the Members who were on the Council had already given adhesion.

Mr. W. C. Boyd exhibited curious varieties of Fidonia atomaria and Anchocelis pistacina.

Mr. Billups exhibited a 3 of Cryptus titillator.

Mr. Kirby exhibited bred hybrids between Antheræa Pernyi and Roylei.

Miss Ormerod exhibited galls on the inflorescence of ash, which Mr. Fitch said were produced by a species of Phytoptus. In connection with this, Mr. McLachlan called attention to the "sausage gall" on the mid-rib of the leaves of the same tree, occasioned by Cecidomyia botularia, and Mr. Fitch alluded to a gall on the fruit, produced by an unknown larva, probably one of the Curculionida.

Mr. Bridgman communicated a further paper on British Ichneumonidæ, supplementary to Mr. Marshall's Catalogue of that family, published by the Society.

Mr. E. Saunders read a continuation of his Synopsis of British Aculeate Hymenoptera.

Prof. Westwood sent an extensive memoir on the habits of the Eurytomida, a family of Chalcididæ, but of which one or two species, known as "joint worms," appeared to be non-parasitic, and to be directly the cause of the swellings on the stems of various cereals, &c., thus occasioning much damage. One of the most notorious of these was Eurytoma hordei. This paper occasioned much discussion, and Mr. Fitch avowed, as his belief, that all the Eurytomidae were purely parasitic. 7th June, 1882.-The President in the Chair.

Dr. Mason exhibited a variety of Zygæna filipendulæ from Bewdley Forest, in which the bronze-green ground colour had invaded and obliterated the spots of the anterior-wings and the corresponding colour in the posterior (such a variety was known as chrysanthemi, Hübner), and in connection therewith a parallel variety of Callimorpha dominula. He also called attention to two species of Noctuide that had found their way into the British List. The first of these was Xylophasia Zollikoferi, the supposed British specimens of which, he said, were only bleached examples of the dark variety of X. polyodon (he exhibited an individual of the true Zollikoferi); the second was Agrotis helvetina, of which he exhibited both the true species, and a specimen upon which it was introduced as British; this latter was very different, and, in his opinion, was a bleached variety of Noctua augur.

The President stated that so far as his experience went this year, all the larvæ of Nematus ribesii (the gooseberry saw-fly), which had been hatched this season, had died when quite young; currant leaves riddled with small holes were not unfrequent, but he had not yet seen a single leaf that had been stripped by these insects; last autumn he had noticed a similar mortality amongst the young larvæ of this species, but this season it seemed so general (at any rate in his locality) as to threaten the extinction of the species.

Mr. McLachlan read a List of British Trichoptera, brought down to date, with especial reference to the Catalogue of British Neuroptera, published by the Society in 1870, noticing such additions and corrections as had occurred or become necessary; 152 British species were now known, indicating an addition of twenty per cent. since 1865, when the Monograph of British Caddis-flies appeared.

Mr. Distant read a paper on new species of Cicadida from Madagascar, in which he alluded to the genus Platypleura as occurring nearly all over the world.

Mr. Butler communicated a continuation of the series of papers on the Lepidoptera of Chili, collected by Mr. Edmonds, and especially concerning the Geometridæ. In connection with some remarks made by the author, as to the difficulty of determining the species noticed by Blanchard, in Gay's" Historia Fisica," Mr. McLachlan expressed his belief that most of the types of species indicated in that work still existed in the Natural History Museum of Paris, and had been overlooked.