412 



VARIETIES. 



passage struck me as so utterly ridiculous, that I laid down the 

 book, and have never since looked into it. I could point out 

 some other errors, but as they do not belong to your branch 

 of natural history, I will not take up your time with them. Do 

 not misunderstand me. I have no objection to 'popular books 

 on natural history, but rather approve of them. At the same 

 time I wish them to be written in common sense. 



Yours, &;c. 



W. Christy, Jun. 



26. Larva of Megatoma serra. — Sir, — Since I forwarded 

 to you the descriptions of Coleopterous Larvae, I have reared 

 some more specimens of Megatoma serra, the pupa of which 

 is remarkable, assuming that state (as many of the Diptera do) 

 within the case of the larva ; but it may be observed that, in 

 this instance the larva case is slightly open at the back : the 

 pupa in other respects resembles that of other Coleoptera. 



George R. Waterhouse. 



27. Agriotypus armatus. — The female of this insect was 

 observed, in June last, on the banks of the Clyde, at New 

 Lanark, Scotland, to descend the sides of rocks to a consi- 

 derable depth under the surface of the water, remain immersed 

 for ten minutes and upwards, and then reappear without any 

 apparent injury : this singular operation it repeated several 

 times. Can the object of these subaqueous wanderings be for 

 the purpose of depositing its eggs in the aquatic larva of some 

 Neuropterous insect? Ed. 



28. Notes on some Insects of Teneriffe. — The volcano of 

 Teneriffe forms five successive zones, each of which produces 

 a distinct race of plants, and consequently of insects. The 

 first zone is the region of pines, the next that of laurels ; these 

 are followed by the district of pines, of mountain broom, and of 

 grass ; the whole covering the declivity of the peak to the 

 perpendicular height of 11,000 feet. Some insects collected 

 in Teneriffe by J. Anstice, Esq. offer forms belonging to each 

 zone, together with some peculiar to the salt deserts and 

 borders of the sea. Among these are, Ocypus morosus, 

 Dejean. A little smaller than O. olens, but with no other 



