1899.1 71 



Xylomyia maculata, Fab. ( Diptera), bred, from the New Forest. — While searching 

 for Co^eojo^era near Denny Lodge in the New Forest, on the 29th of June in the summer 

 last past, I came across a number of Dipterous pupae, in very rotten wood, in a 

 hollow stump. The tree was, I believe, oak, and the consistency of the rotten 

 portion in the crevices of which the pupae were lying almost huddled together may 

 be likened to that of rich wedding-cake. I brought home about a dozen of these 

 pupae, and from them there emerged on the 8th of July several flies which were un- 

 known to me then, but which I made out from Westwood, Introd. ii, pp. 533—534 ; 

 and figs. 127, 11 (pupa of Sargus), and 12, to be Subula (Xylomyia) tnaculata, ¥a,h. 

 Mr. Verrall has kindly informed me that this identification is correct, and that the 

 insect is of great rarity, at least in collections. 



There were, however, a great number of the pupae, or rather pupa cases, for the 

 outside covering is that of the larval skin, which bursts at the end, just as figured 

 for Sargus, the true pupa being extruded a little way. I bred eleven specimens, 

 being all I believe that I brought home, simply keeping them in a tin.. The flies 

 continued to emerge for about a week. 



Mr. Austen is, I understand, about to publish some remarks on the classification 

 of the genus Xylomyia. The species in Verrall's list are three : X. maculata, P. ; 

 varia, Meig ; marginata Meig. The two former being printed in italics as needing 

 confirmation as British, not having appeared since Hope' s capture recorded by 

 Westwood. — H. S. Goeham, Shirley Warren, Southampton : January ISth, 1899. 



Spilomyia speciosa, Eossi, in the New Forest. — I may mention that I have been 

 in the habit of taking this beautiful fly every summer for many years. It occurs 

 singly or in pairs about Midsummer round large hollow trees in various parts of the 

 New Forest. — Id. 



Brachypalpus bimaculatus Mcq., in the New Forest, S(c. — At the meeting of 

 the Birmingham Entomological Society held on the 19th September last, Mr. R. C. 

 Bradley exhibited a specimen of this Dipteron taken at Sutton, and remarked that 

 almost the only other captures he knew of were two taken by himself and Mr. Wain- 

 wright in Sherwood Forest in 1892. It is certainly not a common insect, but has 

 been taken in several localities in the vicinity of decaying oak trees. In the new 

 collection of British Diptera at the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, 

 there are five specimens, of which four were taken in the New Forest in 1894, and 

 one at Ledbury, Hereford, in 1895 ; all being presented by Col. Yerbury ; and last 

 year I was also fortunate enough to take four specimens in the former locality. Two 

 of these were taken flying about Portugal Laurel blossom, and their resemblance 

 both on the wing and at rest to some of the Andrenidce is so remarkable that I nearly 

 turned the first one out of my net before noticing the difference. — Fredk. C. 

 Adams, 50, Ashley Gardens, S.W. : January, 1899. 



Coleoptera at Colchester. — During ihe past year we have taken several rare and 

 many interesting species of Coleoptera — nearly all in the first half of the year — the 

 autumn collecting proving very unproductive. Among our captures are Notiophilus 

 rufipes, a few, in dead leaves ; Badister sodalis, one, in a damp spot ; Stenoluphus 



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