1801.] i;33 



which it has been described appears to be darker. Tlie following is Ilerr Kuwert's 

 description (/. c, p. 535) : — " Thorax plainly broader than the elytra, the latter with 

 obscure red spots with thick yellowish pubescence ; tlioras black, with short and less 

 thick pubescence, with a distinct red central line and badly defined reddish sides, 

 very strongly widened in the middle and a little narrowed in front. Male with the 

 clypeus raised into a prominence on its anterior margin, and with the intermediate 

 tibise strongly widened beneath. Legs and apex of abdomen reddish. L., 2 mm." 



The species which we know as H. fusculus, Kiesenwetter, appears to be really 

 H. ptilchellns, Kies., and it is doubtful wliether we possess the former species at all ; 

 in fact, the whole genus, as arranged in our British collections, appears to be in utter 

 confusion. I am preparing a paper on the genus, and hope to be able to clear up 

 one or two more points; it appears, however, to be difficult to know whether the 

 sexes are not sometimes contused as separate species, and I should be very much 

 obliged if any collector would forward me undoubted pairs of any species, common 

 or uncommon. The male and female are usually found together in one mud burrow, 

 whicli is not occupied by more than one pair. I have found H. pulchellus in num- 

 bers in April at Luccombe Chine, Isle of Wight, but it appears to be an entirely 

 local species. — Id. : April \Oth, 1891. 



Since writing the above, Mr. McLachlan has kindly called my attention to a 

 description of a new species of Heierocerus, from Scandinavia, by B. Varenius, in 

 the " Eutomologisk Tidskrift " (Stockholm), 1891, Haft 1, p. 22, named H. Molleri ; 

 it is apparently closely allied to H. fusculus, from which it appears to differ a little 

 in size, and in having the front tibise furnished externally with seven spines. It seems 

 very doubtful at first sight whether it will prove a distinct species ; it is described in 

 company with a new Megarthrus. — W. W. F. 



Homalota princeps, Sfc, at Ventnor. — During ten days spent at Ventnor, from 

 the 3rd to the 13th of this month, I captured a few insects of interest, although the 

 weather was not altogether favourable for entomological work. I never remember 

 such a scarcity of Hymenoptera at this time of the year. Even on two really 

 bright sunshiny mornings, I only saw the following species : — Ralictus longidus, 1 

 (this is a rare species, and one I was glad to meet with) ; Andrena fulvicrus, 4 or 5 

 c? and ? ; Anthophora pilipes, several (J and ? ; Bombus terrestris and Derhamellus 

 and Apis mellijiea. I was collecting on the sheltered side of the hills just above 

 the sea, facing S. and S.W. The gorse was out in fair blossom, and also a few sallows 

 liere and there, so that one might have expected to have met with spring Andretim, 

 &c., in abundance, which made the above result very disappointing. 



Coleopiera, however, were more encouraging. By shaking seaweed above high 

 water mark I secured three Lymnaum tiiyropiceum, six Homalota princeps, sur- 

 rounded by plenty of its nWies, puiicticeps, halohrectha and vestita, two oi plumbea, 

 Aleochara algarwm and grisea, Phytosus spinifer and balticus (the former fairly 

 common, the latter very rare, only four specimens occurring), two J/ecfoB^ocq/er, 

 and otliers. I suppose I spent about five hours altogether searching the seaweed, 

 which was in the little bay just opposite Steep Hill Castle. 



In Hemiptera I found a single Zicrona ccerulea crawling up a grass stem, a 

 really beautiful creature in flie sunshine. — Edward Saunders, St. Ann's, Woking: 

 April loth, \S0\. 



