120 The Scottish Naturalist. 



conspicuous, but their capture at night is not altogether easy or very remunera- 

 tive. They can be taken, however, with a water-net, but whether in the net or 

 not ihey are very active at night, and their perfection is soon marred. My plan 

 is to find a spot where they are abundant at night, and go the next day to cap- 

 ture them. They settle upon boards, sticks, grass, or any kind of herbage close 

 to the water's edge. In -the day-time they are sluggish, and may be taken m pill- 

 boxes, &c, off the objects on which they rest. They will also be found settled up- 

 on the weeds on the surface of the water, during the day-time. The flight of the 

 insect, once seen, is not easily confounded with any other, and is not easily for- 

 gotten, as its erratic movements on the surface of the water reminds one in some 

 degree of the eccentricities of the whirling beetle (Gyt in its natator). I believe it 

 is generally found in abundance where it does occur. In 1871, when I first de- 

 tected it here, it swarmed to an incredible degree, but last season it was not so 

 common. — G. B. Corbin, Ringwood, Hampshire. 



A New British Dipteron (Laphria flava J. — In the second week < f 

 August of last year, and during a four days' excursion along the Don, we stayed 

 a day at Colquhomy Inn, situated in that portion known as Strath-Don. On the 

 opposite side of the river to the inn was a slight rise, the incline of which was 

 rather steep, and was covered with long moss, heather, coarse grass, Sec, and 

 with fir trees pretty thickly over it ; here it was the good fortune of one of our 

 number (Mr. H. Williamson) to capture a specimen of a large fly, which turned 

 out. to be a species of Laphria. I sent the insect up to Mr. G. H. Verrall, and 

 he has identified it as Laphria flava L. , new to Britain. The specimen is a 

 female, measuring in length 10 lines, with an alar expanse of 17 lines ; the tho- 

 rax and abdomen aie thickly covered with tawny hairs, those on the thorax 

 being rather the longer ; the legs are very stout, with black hairs, the tibiae 

 more or less with light tawny hairs. The head is clothed with long stiff black 

 hairs, the first two joints of the antennae with tawny hairs, and a row of these 

 extends downwards on each side internally to the e)es, till half-way down the 

 face. Anion the Syrphidcz which I also obtained there were a single male 

 of Sericomyia superbiens Mir., {Arctophila mussitans Fb.) ; Sericomyia borca- 

 lis Fin. : and Helophilus pevdvlus L., which are common even where. ; Eris- 

 ialis intricaritts L., E. horticola Dg., JS.JbssammlAeTgle., and. E. ri.pium Fb. 

 This last "Walker gives as "rare; in Mr. Stephens' collection.'' I obtained 

 several specimens of it, but that is the only time I have taken it in Scotland. 

 Of the Cheilosis. I took one or two of C. astracca L., and a number of C. 

 chloris Mg. — W. A. Vice, 15 Union Terrace, Aberdeen. 



Notes on Lepidoptera in 1873.— As notwithstanding the late spring, 

 the times of appearance of certain Lepidoptera this spring are considerably 

 earlier than they were last year, the following notes may be of interest. The 

 dates within brackets are those of 1872. Melanippe biriviata May 21st (June 

 9th), Venilia maculata May 22nd (June 17th), Noctua plecta M ay 29th ; haw- 

 thorn just beginning to blossom, and some of the oaks scarcely shewing leaf yet. 

 Chcsrocampa porcellus about June 1st (22 days earlier than 1872), Kmmelesia 

 albulata 14 days later, and Dianthcecia cucubali 34 days earlier than 1872. 

 Fidonia piniaria (female) May 8th (June 8th female, May 19 male).— 

 Thos. Moncretffe, Moncreiffe, Bridge of Earn, 



1 'ossibly the exceptionally mild weather at the end of December and beginning 

 1 ; ] in ary may have su far brought the pupa 1 of these insects to perfection 

 that on the first warm weather after the late spring the perfect insects were 

 able to appear at once.- -KDitor Sc. Nat. 



