1897.] 281 



always on the look out during the following seasons, I never met with it again until 

 this summer whilst collecting with Col. Yerbury on June 23rd in Ehinefield, or 

 (according to the Ordnance Map) Yinney Eidge Enclosure. It was a glorious 

 bright hot day, and I was fortunate enough to secure three and the Colonel one 

 specimen, in addition to otlier good Diptera. We tlierefore decided to work the 

 same ground on the following day, and were rewarded with four and three Mallota 

 respectively. After this we eacli took one in Park Ground Enclosure, making a total 

 of thirteen, and then the species appeared to be over. On the 2'M\ I also took one 

 Physocephala nigra, De G-., and on the 25th, in my garden at Fern Cottage, one ? 

 Nephrocerus flavicornis, Lw., which makes the third British specimen taken by 

 myself, and completes a good record for three successive days. On June 8th I took 

 in the garden a pretty fly, identified by Mr. Austen as Neottiophilum preeitstum, Mg., 

 and in writing about the same he stated, " Tliere is in the general collection a single 

 male of the true N. prcBUstum, but unfortunately without any locality, and I think 

 that there is little doubt you have again secured a good insect," &c. 



On July 3rd, which is about a month before the usual time, I netted a female 

 Melanostoma hyalinatum. Fin., but as I left Lyndhurst soon afterwards cannot say 

 whether it was fairly abundant as in 1895. Keturning in August I took a single 

 male on the 16th, and then saw no more, so conclude the species was, like several 

 others this autumn, over before the usual time. 



Having so far reported successes, I now give an instance of failure, as I think 

 the early appearance of Callicera cenea, F., in 1897 will be of interest to Dipterists, 

 and warn them to be on the look out for this beautiful insect during June in similar 

 hot and early seasons. The weather at Lyndhurst throughout the month was ex- 

 ceptionally fine, the sun heat being almost tropical, and on the 11th I visited the 

 beautiful drive at Yinney Ridge, planted on both sides with rhododendrum bushes, 

 which were in full bloom at the time, but C. anea was certainly not amongst the 

 Diptera I expected to find. Nevertheless, during the day I saw three specimens 

 flying about the blossom, but through bad luck and bungling failed to secure any of 

 them, altliougli I had one safely in the net, and then lost it through not quite closing 

 the pill box, for which mishap I partially blame the swarms of Simulidce, which 

 were a great nuisance and nearly blinded me. I told Col. Yerbury about this, and 

 a few days afterwards he secured one in almost the identical spot where I saw the 

 last of the three, and on June 22nd he took further specimens in quite another part 

 of the Forest. I also heard of one taken by a lady in a garden at Lyndhurst. — 

 Feed. C. Adams, St. Ermin's Mansions, S.W., and Fern Cottage, Lyndhurst : iS'o- 

 vember, 1897. 



©bituarj). 



Joseph William Dunning, M.A., F.L.S., <^c., who died on October loth last, 

 was the only son of Mr. Joseph Dunning, an old and respected solicitor of Leeds, 

 and was born there on November 5th, 1833. In due time he was sent to the educa- 

 tional establishment of Mr. Peter Inchbald near Huddersfield, and remained there 

 some years : Mr. Inchbald was an enthusiastic natui'alist, and his establishment 

 proved a nursery for incipient entomologists {cf., Ent. Mo. Mag , 1896, p. 164). He 

 afterwards went to read with an English clergyman at Paris. He entered at Trinity 

 College, Cambridge, graduated in 1856, and took his M.A. degree in 1859 ; he also 



