SCOTTISH ALPINE TARDIGRADA 25 



female by sweeping. Previous records are all from the south 

 of England. Cambridgeshire being the northern limit. 



6. Platypiza picta, Mg. I took a male at Aberfoyle on i8th 



September. The only previous record of this species for 

 Scotland is that of a female taken by Col. Yerbury at Golspie 

 on 25th August 1900. as mentioned by Yerrall (" Syrphidse," 

 p. 667). 



7. Loxocera aristata, Pz. var. Yerbury i, And. At Aberlady on yth 



August I took a well-marked specimen of this melanic variety 

 along with two specimens of the typical form of the species 

 all males. I have not seen any record of the occurrence 

 of this form since it was brought forward by Mr. Austin 

 ("Ent. Mo. Mag." 1899, p. 65) and described from specimens 

 (4 males and i female) taken by Col. Yerbury at Kingussie 

 and Nethy Bridge in July and August 1898. My specimen 

 is very dark and exhibits no trace of the reddish colour on 

 the hinder part of the thorax and the scutellum characteristic 

 of the type. 



MUSSELBURGH. 



SCOTTISH ALPINE TARDIGRADA. 



By JAMES MURRAY. 

 PLATE HI. 



THIS paper embodies the results of two visits to Ben Lawers 

 in the summer of 1905. Mosses were gathered on the cairn 

 and at a few places near the summit of the mountain, all 

 above 3500 feet. The moss was washed next day and 

 examined for Tardigrada. The result was so interesting 

 that it is thought to justify the publication of this Note, 

 without waiting to supplement it by work on other hills, as 

 at first intended. The number of species found was not 

 great. There was an undescribecl species of Diphascon, a 

 peculiar variety of Macrobiotus ornatus, and a remarkable 

 variety of forms of eggs of Macrobiotus. The moss from the 

 cairn was most productive. 



A little peaty pool a few hundred feet below the summit 

 was also very rich, and contained most of the common low- 

 land species that were found. The highest Sphagnum 

 obtained on the mountain had likewise many Tardigrada, 

 which is contrary to my experience of Sphagnum elsewhere. 



