1913.] 229 



Nemosoma elorujatum L., in the Oxford district. — On Jvily 13th last I 

 found a strong colony of Hylesinus vittatus, F., in an elm rail forming part of a 

 fence at Water Eaton, Oxon. On mentioning this to Commander Walker, he 

 suggested I should look for its Coleopterous parasite Nemosoma elongatum. 

 This induced me to visit the place again shortly afterwards, when I took a few 

 pupae out of the bark which I thought could only belong to that species — 

 judging- from the size and elongate cylindrical shape. These I brought home 

 and on August 5th had the satisfaction of breeding the Nemosoma. I have 

 since found other elm rails tenanted by Hylesinus, and taken the parasite in 

 three of its stages, viz., larva, pupa, and imago. The larva is, I find, quite well 

 known. Canon Fowler (Coleopt. Brit. Isl. Ill, p. 268) gives two references, to one 

 of which, in Westwood's " Modern Classification of Insects," I, 146, fig. 12, 2, 

 I have access. I venture to describe the larva as it appears to me. The larva is 

 translucent, pale with a decided pinkish tinge, cylindrical in shape and about 

 7 millimetres in length, with head and first segment brown and chitinous ; all the 

 segments have scattered, long, pale yellow hairs; on the anal segment are two spines 

 on each side, curved or hooked backwards, the space between them brown. Prof. 

 Westwood simply refers to the caudal appendages as " two spines," whereas in 

 fact they are curved upwards and backwards. The pupa is of the same pinkish 

 colour as the larva, the only noticeable change as it matures being in the 

 eyes, which become black ; the beetle when it first emerges being very pale, 

 especially the elytra which ai'e almost opaque whitish, the dark spot near apex 

 showing very distinctly ; it gradually assimies the red tinge of maturity and 

 is about a week in attaining its full colour. It is, of course, very satisfactory 

 to breed this rare and curious beetle, but the pupse are very delicate and easily 

 damaged. The better plan is to leave them alone wherever they are found 

 until about the middle of September, when most of the beetles will be found 

 fully matured. The Nemosoma remains in the biirrows of the Hylesinus for 

 some time after emergence from the pupa. With it I found quite a niunber of 

 partly consumed Hylesinus, which convinces me that it preys on its host in 

 its various stages. — J. Collins, 7^, Islip Eoad, Sunnymeade, Oxford : 

 September Uth, 1913. 



Pairing of different species of Coccinellidae. — A day or two ago in my garden 

 here, I noticed two "ladybirds" in cop. on a rose-bush, the J being Coccinella 

 10-punctata, with black spots on a reddish ground, and the ? a typical red 

 Adalia hipunctata. — J. R. le B. Tomlin, Lakefoot, Hamilton Eoad, Eeading : 

 July 31st, 1913. 



Cicindela manthna, Dej., on the coast of Kent.— On August 20th I observed 

 this " tiger-beetle " in considerable nimibers on the wide sandy foreshore at 

 Shingle Haven Coast-guard Station, about two miles north-east of Sandwich 

 and six miles north of Deal. As usual it was exceedingly active and difficult 

 to approach, and for want of time and a suitable net I was able to capture only 

 a very few specimens. In neither Canon Fowler's " British Coleoptera," nor in 

 the recent paper by Mr. J. Edwards in this Magazine {ante, pp. 146-149) is any 



