358 TTie Scottish Naturalist. 



the aquarium, it may become a useful institution in clearing up 

 many of those vexed questions about the embryonic and young 

 conditions of the salmon and herring. It is intended also that 

 the science of embryology will be promoted in a general sense. 



Rothesay, August 1874. 



TenthredinidEe in Rannoch — The following is a list (but not a complete 

 one) of the saw-flies taken during a fortnight's stay in Rannoch in June, 

 1873. The total number of species found was eighty-five, or about a fourth 

 of the British list. I expected to find some difference between the Rannoch 

 species and those found in the Glasgow districts, but the similarity between 

 the two faunas was much greater than I thought it would be. The boreal 

 species were very few, as were also the pine-feeders, which were indeed 

 conspicuous by their absence, Avhich is rather surprising considering the 

 abundance of the food-plant : — 



Cimbex variabilis, rare at Camachgouran and Glenlyon ; the 

 larva of the Scotch form feeds usually on birch. Trichiosoma lucorum, 

 very common. The males fly in short circles over the tops of the birch 

 trees, making a humming noise ; at Glenlyon I found the young larva on 

 oak, a rather unusual food-plant ; birch is the commonest food-plant in 

 Scotland. Abia nitens, common. Hylotoma ustulata, common on birch 

 on the hill-sides at Camachgouran. Lophyrus pini, seemingly rare ; Z. 

 virens, two females : another damaged specimen was rescued from the 

 jaws of two large ants ; L. pallipes, one male and one female in the Black 

 Wood. Mr. M'Lachlan captured some years ago Z. frutetomm in the 

 same locality. Cladhts eradiatus Htg., not common. The larvae feed on 

 upper surface of the leaves of the common rose and the rowan in the 

 autumn. C. difformis, one female. Hemichroa luridiventris Fall., not un- 

 common among the alders at Dall. Nematus Degeeri, very common on 

 birch. JV. {Croesus) varus, Vill., two females on the alders at Dall. A r . 

 crassicornis Htg., not common : this is perhaps the JV. rujuornis of 

 Stephens; the larva feeds on sallows. N. pallipes Fall., two males on the 

 mountain tops. JV. mollis Htg., not common. N. fallax, common ; the 

 larvae feed on low grasses, and two broods occur in a year, T believe. JV. 

 obductus Kk, not common. N. Kirbyi, one male ; JV. ventral is l'z., Htg. 

 (abdominalis Fall.,), common on the alders at Dall ; I do not know if this 

 species has been recorded as British before. JV. lutcus, very common at 

 Dall : the flat pale-green larva feeds on the upper surface of the alder 

 leaves. JV. ivtteivaalli Voll., one female on willow. N. monticola Thorns., 

 four males that I caught may perhaps be this species. JV. croceus Fall., 

 rare. JV. viridis Ste., very common; I am inclined to believe that JV. 

 prasinus Htg., is merely a variety of this species. JV. crassulus Dbm., not 

 uncommon on the banks of the burn at Camachgouran : according to 

 Thomson JV. crassnlus is a gall-maker. .V. appendiculatus Htg., very rare. 

 JV. cinerece, rare. JV. Vallisnieri, one or two speeimens at Kinloch. JV. vie- 

 dullarius not uncommon at Camachgouran on sallows. Specimens were als< » 

 captured of a species that is perhaps N. brachyotus Foerster. Athalia rosir, 

 very abundant everywhere. Pkyttdtoma tcnella Zadd., not rare on birch ; 



