Oj, [January, 



months or years. On the other hand, in Lepidoptera the necessity of egg laying as 

 soon as possible after fertilization is often great, and delay in fertilization is more 

 easily suffered than delay in oviposition afterwards. — T. A. Chapman, Hereford : 

 October, 1890. 



Megacronus inclinans and Agahus guttatus near Hartlepool. — On October I2th, 

 1890, I took three specimens of Megacronus inclinans upon the sand hills between 

 Hartlepool and Hesleden Dene Mouth. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, and 

 beetles literally swarmed ; had it been possible for the whole ground to have been 

 gone over to Black Hall Rock, doubtless many more good species would have been 

 secured, as it was a day in a hundred for the time of year. On November 8th, after 

 heavy rains, I took no less than 130 specimens of Agabm nitidus under stones and 

 flood refuse, upon the sands at tlie mouth of the stream running out of Hesleden 

 Dene ; they had evidently been washed down by the flood, and taken temporary 

 refuge under the first convenient shelter. It is somewhat strange that only one 

 guttatus was taken. — J. Gardner, Hartlepool : December, 1890. 



The marine caddis-fly of New Zealand. — In the " Transactions of the New 

 Zealand Institute," vol. xxi, 1888 (1889), there is a paper by Mi\ Geo. M. Thomson, 

 F.L.S., on New Zealand Crustacea, and at p. 260 are some remarks on the Amphi- 

 pod, Corophium contractum, Stimpson, to the following effect : — " When collecting 

 on the shores of Auckland Harbour, between tide-marks, I picked up a small tube 

 about 6 mm. long, closed at one end and furnished with a hinged lid at the other 

 end, which at the time I took to be the case of a marine caddis-worm. The tube 

 was made of very tough material, and was covered over with fragments of corallines, 

 so that had I not seen it moving, I should have passed it by. On opening it the 

 tube was found to contain a small specimen of C. contractum, but whether the 

 Crustacean constructed the tube, or, which is more likely, had merely found it empty 

 and had taken refuge in it, could not be decided." 



This tube is figured on pi. xiii, fig. 2, and coincides so precisely with that of 

 Philanisus, " a marine caddis-fly," the habits of wliich were described and figured 

 by me in the " Journal of the Linnean Society," Zoology, vol. xvi (1882), that I 

 have no hesitation in referring it to that genus, and agree with the suggestion tliat 

 the Crustacean had simply utilized it, but it may possibly have previously devoured 

 the rightful inmate. I have used the term "T'/ze" marine caddis-fly, because at 

 present we are without evidence that more than one species of marine habits exists 

 in New Zealand. — R. McLachlan, Lewisham, London : November 21th, 1890. 



Bare Aculeate Hymenoptera in Devon. — Myrmecina Latreillei, ^ , beaten from 

 high oak hedge on one occasion in a lane near Tavistock ; September 27th, 1890. 

 Myrmosa melanocephala, $ , running up vertical bank in hot sun on road leading 

 from Morthoe to beach ; in the same bank were species of Halictus and Sphecodes 

 hurrovf ing, also &6.ne specimen o( Chrysis bidentata, $; August 3rd, 1890. Methoca 

 ichnetimonoides , $ , running on rocks at Morte Point, Morthoe, almost in reach of 

 spray ; August 1st, 1890. Mr. Saunders has kindly verified the names of the insects. 

 — Harold Swalb, Tavistock : November Wth, 1890. 



