1897.] 159 



white hind tarsi of the male are wanting in the female, all these are blaek ; the base 

 of the abdomen, as in the male, is black ; the other segments a brighter eolour, and 

 may be ealled red ; the red at the apex of the first segment is rather broader, and 

 there are four black dots on the second and two on the third and fourth ; OTipositor 

 concealed. 



When I obtained these I also got several larvre of Asteroscopus sphinx (= 

 Petasia cassinea), each with seven to nine white eggs on the surface of the skin ; I 

 had an idea that these might produce E. albitarsus, but, unfortunately, they shed 

 their skins about four days after, removing the eggs in the operation. 



Phtjtodietus vetulus, Gr., was the most abundant in the above assemblage, for I 

 boxed forty-three males and twenty-three females ; my first acquaintance with this 

 species. 



Ichneumon fabricator, Fab. — This species came next in the order of numbers ; 

 these, however, were all males. 



Acampsis alternipes, Nees. — This is a new genus and species to the British list 

 of Braconidce. I secured them in the same locality as mentioned above, on May 

 8th and 11th ; ten males and five females {vide ante, p. 150). 



Perilampus violaceus, Dalm. — This beautiful Chalcid, I obtained on May 11th, 

 three specimens ; Colonel Yerbury kindly sent me one he captured in the New 

 Forest on June 13th, 1894. This species looks quite out of place in our variable 

 climate, having quite the appearance of an exotic production. — G. C. Bignell, Stone- 

 house, Plymouth : June 8th, 1897- 



Saturnia pavonia feeding on Phamnus frangida. — I found a colony of this larva, 

 about to moult for the third time, on Rhamnus frangula near Virtuous Lady Mine 

 on the 8th inst. — Id. 



TcBtiiocampa miniosa on bramble and blacMhorn. — A larva of this species was 

 discovered by Mr. F. C. Lemann spun up for the third moult in a terminal shoot of 

 bramble, no oak occurring for some distance. The same afternoon I beat one out of 

 bramble. — Id. 



The Cimex in the nests of domestic fowls. — M&nj years ago the late Dr. Power 

 told me that a correspondent had informed him that he once saw a number of 

 Cimiees in the nests of his hens, but no specimens were sent ; so the matter 

 passed, and, as far as I know, the subject has never since been noticed. Flor, in his 

 " Khynchoten Livlands " (i, 673, 1860), under Acanthia lectularia, after saying that 

 this " lastige Wanze ist ein treuer Begleiter des Menschen wo dieser seinen Wohnsitz 

 aufgeschlagen hat," observes (p. 674), " Sie halt sich, wie man versichert, audi in 

 Tauben-und-Hiihnerstallen (pigeon and henhouses) auf." This shows that the 

 species, now well known to be distinct, C. columbarius, was not differentiated. And 

 as there is still no certainty what the species in fowls' nests really is, I venture to ask 

 any who may possess or have access to fowl-houses to investigate the matter, secure 

 any examples of Cimex they may find, and send them (dead) to an expert for scien- 

 tific examination. — J. W. DoUGLAS, 153, Lewisham Koad, S.E. : June 13th, 1897. 



