128 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Howden with regard to the Loach, says : " I have never seen a 

 specimen nor heard of one having been obtained, and all other 

 writers are silent on the point." In view of this, I should like to 

 state that in July 1890 I found the Loach in considerable numbers 

 in a stream close to St. Andrews, Fife; and that on 2ist March 

 1896 I caught one in the stream which runs out of Kinghorn Loch, 

 also in Fife. Forty years ago, when a boy at school at East Linton, 

 Haddingtonshire, I caught many a " beardie " in the Tyne there ; 

 and I used to see them also at that time in Beil Burn in the same 

 county. For Midlothian, I have a note of having more recently 

 seen this little fish in the Lothian Burn, a few miles south of 

 Edinburgh. Pollution has no doubt exterminated it in many 

 streams where it was formerly plentiful. - - WILLIAM EVANS, 

 Edinburgh. 



The Greater Fork-beard (Phycis blennoides) off the Firth of 

 Forth. An example of this fish, which I purchased from an 

 Edinburgh fishmonger, was trawled beyond the May Island on 4th 

 March this year. It was 2i| inches in length, greatest depth about 

 5 inches, and it weighed about 3^ Ibs. Length of ventral fin 

 6 1 inches. WILLIAM EVANS, Edinburgh. 



Sapromyza affinis, Zett., Nycteribia latreillii, Leach, and other 

 Diptera from the Edinburgh District. Since my last note on 

 Diptera ("Annals," 1903, p. 247) Mr. J. E. Collin, to whom I am 

 indebted for most of the names, has kindly returned specimens of 

 the following flies sent by me for Mr. Verrall's inspection : 



Sargus cuprarius, L. $, Levenhall quarry, near Musselburgh, 

 July 1901 ; var. nubeculosus, Ztt, $ and <j> , Levenhall quarry, 

 July 1901. S. iridatus, Scop., <j> , banks of Water of Leith, 

 near Gorgie, June 1895. 



Therioplectes solstitialis, Mg. <j? , Forest Mill, July 1901. The 

 specimens recorded by me in "Annals," 1901, p. 53, as "prob- 

 ably" T. tropici/s, Mg., will, I expect, also turn out to be this 

 form, though Mr. Verrall did not then so regard the Aberfoyle 

 one. 



Psilopus platypterns, F. g , Polton, June 1901. 



Argyra argyria, Mg. A good many, Polton, June 1901. 



Lonchoptera lutea, Pz. Several in flood refuse, Bavelaw pond, 

 October 1903. 



Pipiza fenestrata, Mg. Two specimens ( $ 's) taken in Corstorphine 

 Hill wood on 24th May 1901, are referred by Messrs. Verrall 

 and Collin to this form. 



Chilosia grossa, Fin. $ , Kirknewton, Midlothian, 5th May 

 1900. 



Syrphus torvus, O.S. (tofiarius, Auct.) $, Corstorphine Hill, 24th 

 May 1901. 



