1S97.] 215 



Application for Britlih Platt/pezidm. — I have been studying and describing 

 British Si/rphidcB, Pipunculidm and Platypezidce for the last few years, and while I 

 think I have seen and described nearly all the Syrphidce and PipunculidcB, I have 

 lamentably failed in the genus Plati/peza, and I may even admit that, after more 

 than thirty years' collecting, I have not seen a good pair of even one species of 

 that genus, tliough about a dozen species occur in Britain. I possess various good 

 specimens of CaZ/j/»^«a ; but of P/«<z//'e2a, though I have twenty or thirty of P. 

 modesta for instance, I have not seen a single male fit for description. If any one 

 can send me good specimens of Platypezidce I shall be glad to see them, and will 

 undertake to quickly return them ; and I may add, that I would very willingly 

 name any Pipunculidce, or difficult species of SyrphidcB belonging to such genera as 

 Chrysogaster or Pipiza. — G. H. Veeeall, Sussex Lodge, Newmarket: August, 1897. 



Myrmoaa melanocephala in Warwickshire. — With the exception of a ? taken 

 by Mr. Martineau last year in Sutton Park, I believe this species has not been re- 

 corded from Warwickshire. Making a note to look for it this year, I had quite 

 forgotten it, when I accidentally came across the insect in the following manner. 

 On July 11th in the afternoon, working a stone wall in the road close to my house 

 for Crabros, I found a parasitic Metopid, and not being satisfied about the species I 

 went again at 6 o'clock in the evening hoping to take more, when, to my surprise, I 

 found a ? melanocepliala crawling on the wall. Acting on this T visited the wall 

 daily, until, on the morning of the 14th, between 9.30 and 10, I was rewarded by 

 taking two females and seven males. The males were crawling about the wall and 

 taking short flights, reminding me much of a Phytophagous Hymenopteron. 



I visited the wall for several days, morning, noon and evening, but no more were 

 seen. Doubtless I had luckily hit upon the time the males were just emerging at 

 9.30, but as the wall was in the shade at that time, it is possible they may emero-e 

 earlier in a different situation. This capture is interesting, as Mr. Saunders, in his 

 work on the Hymenoptera, says, " little is known of its habits ; males occur on 

 flowers."— Ralph C Bradley, Sutton Coldfield : August, 1897. 



Ceropales variegata near Hohmvood. — In August last year (1896) I was fortu- 

 nate enough to secure a ^ of the exceedingly rare Ceropales variegata in this 

 district. According to Mr. Ed. Saunders this insect is only known to have occurred 

 on five occasions in Grreat Britain, the last of these being as far back as 1876. I was 

 in doubt at the time as to where I took it, but yesterday (July 31st) I took both 

 sexes of the commoner C. maculata flying over a patch of the common heather 

 which I remember visiting on the day I secured C. variegata last year, and I have 



little doubt now that it was taken at this spot and under similar conditions. 



C. H. MoETiMEE, Wigmore, Holmwood, Surrey: August \st, 1897. 



^oqiiittcs. 



Birmingham Entomological Society : July Idth, 1897. — Mr. Q-. H. Ken- 

 rick in the Chair. 



Mr. Bradley showed cocoons and imagines of Apanteles formosus, an ichneumon 



