84 [April, 



The locality where I obtained four out of five of the specimens 

 here recorded is a swampy spot, on the bank of the Kiver Lark, covered 

 witli reeds and rushes, and studded witli old sallows and alders. My 

 collecting ground is only al)Out 1-50 yards l)y 50 yards, and it is 

 worthy of rema)-k that I have in this limited space t btained three 

 insects of different orders new to Britain, viz., the present species ; 

 Nemoura dnhitans, Morton (Nenroj^tera) ; and Chilosia cjlohulipes, 

 Becker {Diptera). 



PoLisTES GALLicus, Linn. Among a small collection of Aculeates, 

 captured by Major E. B. Robertson, and sent to me for determination, 

 I found two specimens, either females or workers, of this species, 

 which has not, I believe, been pi-eviously recorded from Britain. 

 Polistes (jallicus, which is the only representative of the genus 

 occurring in Europe, has a very wide distribution, extending over 

 almost all Europe as far north as Sweden, and across Asia to China 

 and Japan. I myself have taken it in Baluchistan and Kashmir. 

 The specimens obtained by Major Robertson were taken at Chandler's 

 Ford, Hants, in 1911. The fact that among quite a small collection 

 he obtained two specimens of this species, appears to indicate that it 

 is, in all probability, a resident in Hampshire. Had only one specimen 

 been taken, I should have inclined to the opinion that, as such a 

 conspicuous and well Icnow^i insect had not been hitherto found in 

 Britain, it might have been a casual immigrant, more especially as the 

 summer of 1911 was an unusually hot one. I hope that Major 

 Robertson, or other entomologists visiting South Hants, may succeed 

 in taking more specimens, and proving that the insect is really 

 resident in England. 



The genus Polistes may be at once distinguished from all other 

 Vespidae by the transversely striate propodeum, and the fusiform first 

 abdominal segment. 



Timworth Hall, 



Bury St. Eclinunds : 



February lltli, I'.ti:?. 



FOUR UNRECORDED BRITISH ANTHOMYIDM : 



TWO OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME BEING NEW TO SCIENCE. 



BY JOHN H. WOOD, M.B. 



All four species were submitted to Herr Stein, who very kindly 

 examined them for me. Two of them he returned as Phaonia {Hyeto- 



