10O4.] 1_39 



Another brief visit to Baslej Wood (wo days later was unsuccessful so far as 

 Oxiflamus was concerned, but the same lot of faggots produced one specimen of 

 Choleva colonoiden, Kraatz, as well as CorypMum angnnticolle, Steph., and other 

 more common species. — James J. Walker, Oxford : Mat) \Sth, 190t. 



British Diptera wanted. — I should be much obliged if any one would send me 

 fresh or recent specimens for examination and description of Xylomyia varia, Meig., 

 (? 9 , and X. marginata, Meig., ? . Beris geniculata, Hal. : I know the female of 

 the species, which is distinct from B. fuscipes, but I have not seen a male. 

 Sargus : any yellow legged species except S.flavipes, also 5. nuheculonus, <? , if such 

 a thing exists. Pachi/gaster miniitissinia, Zott. Stratiomys fiircata. Fall. : I cannot 

 distinguish what I have seen from S. riparia. Odontomyia : any species except O. 

 oriiata, tigrina, and viridula ; I expect three or four species unknown to me occur 

 in Britain. Ox^cera rfi?ie.5, Lw., and 0. fall en I, Stseg. Nemotelns hrevirostri.i, Meig. : 

 I fear all ours are N. notatus, Zett. Leptis conspicua, Meig., said to be common in 

 some places, but although I can distinguish Syrpkus ribesli and vitripennis by the 

 naked eye at half a dozen yards distance, I cannot distinguish L. conspicua yet 

 even with the aid of a microscope. L. strigosa, Meig. : I have never seen any 



British specimens at all like this. L. sp. ? : one or two large species of Leptit 



occur in Britain which have no yellowish markings ; I want to see more of them. 

 L. annulata, De Gr. : I have never seen this from Britain. Symphoromyia melfBna, 

 Meig. Spania nigra, Meig., ? . Xylophagus cinctus,T)e G. Ursinatopota italica, 

 Meig., (J : the species probably occurs freely at the mouth of the Thames Valley. 

 Tabanus glaucopia, Meig.,;?. Chrysops sepulcralia, Fabr. Anthrax: any clear 

 winged species except A. paniscus ; I believe at least three others occur in Britain. 

 Bomhyliu.i : any clear winged species. Psilocephala ardea, Fabr. Oncodes pallipes, 

 Latr. O. varius, Latr. Dioctria linearis, Fabr., as distinguished from D.Jlavipes, 

 Meig. Asilus : several species unknown to me ought to occur in Britain belonging 

 to the old genus AsHus, especially such as Antipalus varipes, Meig., Neoitamus 

 sociuSjJjw., Dysmachus sp. ?, &c. Eutolmtis rufibarbis, Meig. Hcenopinus niger, 

 De G., and S. glabrifrons, Meig., S • Oi' anything else apparently unrecorded as 

 British in the above Families. — G. H. Veeeall, Sussex Lodge, Newmarket : 

 May, 1904. 



Anthophora retiisa, L. : use of its mandibles as a support. — I was interested 



the other day at Margate in watching a fine freshly emerged example of the <? of 



the above species, completing its drying and cleaning arrangements before taking 



flight. It had evidently only left its case a few minutes, and was basking in the 



morning sun (about 10 a.m.) on a dry grass stem ; by clinging on with its mandibles 



it was able to use its legs freely to clean or dry its sides, wings, &c. ; it occasionally 



balanced itself by using a leg or two, but its mandibles were clearly its chief 



support. I have often known of species of Nomada and other genera being found 



asleep merely hanging on by these organs, but I have never had the op])ortunity of 



personally seeing the mandibles put into use for this purpose ; the strength required 



to thus support the whole body must be enormous in proportion to tiie size of the 



insect, but it appeared to be merely a matter of convenience to the creature itself. — 



Edward Saunders, St. Ann's, Woking : May V2th, lOOl. 



M 2 



