1899.] 93 



me for asking whether he is quite sure that such was actually the ease. Seeing that 

 the larva of H. Servillana itself makes a swelling or " gall " on a sallow twig, as 

 shown in Dr. Wood's most interesting notes on its habits in Ent. Mo. Mag., xx, 

 245-6 (1884), one would naturally feel inclined to suggest that there must have been, 

 on one of the twigs gathered by Mr. Collin, a " gall " made by H. Servillana, from 

 which its rightful owner subsequently emerged. Various Tortrices, for the purposes 

 of pupation, make use of galls made by other insects (see Ent. Mo. Mag., xxv, 217- 

 220), but H. Servillana has no need to do so, since it pupates within its own gall 

 habitation in which its larval life has been spent. — Etistace R. Bankes, The Rectory, 

 Corfe Castle : March 2nd, 1899. 



Early appearance of Cicindela campestris, L. — Yesterday I was pleased to see 

 a specimen of Cicindela campestris enjoying the warm sunshine here, and taking 

 short flights along the footpath in front of me. March Ist struck me as being an 

 exceptionally early date on which to see this pretty beetle.— Id. 



Quedius longicornis, Kraatz, at Cobham Park. — On February 18th, I met with 

 a single example of this Staphylinid under a small log almost buried in dead leaves 

 at Cobham Park, thereby adding yet another to the long list of rare Coleoptera 

 already recorded from that incomparable locality. The diminished eyes, slow 

 movements, and generally immature appearance of Q. longicornis all point to a very 

 retired mode of life, which may perhaps account for its rarity. — James J. Walker, 

 23, Ranelagh Road, Sheerness : March 1st, 1899. 



Longitarsus rutilus, III., Sfc, at Halstow, Kent. — While cutting tufts in search 

 of Coleoptera last Christmas eve in a damp place at Halstow, on the right bank of 

 the Medway estuary below Chatham, I took two examples of a bright I'ed Longitar- 

 sus, supposed at the time of capture to be only a highly coloured form of the common 

 L. ^acohoBCB, Wat. On being set their distinctness from that insect was obvious, and 

 Mr. Champion, on seeing them, pronounced them to be L. rutilus, 111., hitherto very 

 rare in this country, the only specimens either of us had seen being those taken long 

 ago by Mr. Moncreaff at Southsea, on which the late Mr. E. C. Rye introduced the 

 species as British (Ent. Mo. Mag., vii, p. 206). Last Saturday (11th) I went again 

 to Halstow specially to look for the creature, and ere long succeeded in ti-acing it to 

 its proper food-plant, Scrophularia aquatica, at the roots of which, as well as on the 

 young shoots, it occurred in tolerable plenty. The blood-i"ed colour (quite different 

 in tone from tliat of L. jacoha:as) of the beetle when alive, especially in the <? , ren- 

 dered it very conspicuous ; but the afternoon being warm and sunny, it was one 

 thing to see the insect and quite another to bottle it. No Halticid I have ever met 

 with approaches L. rutilus in its saltatory powers, and more than once I saw it jump 

 a distance of fully a ya"d on my collecting paper ; L. agilis. Rye, which occurred 

 sparingly with it, being by comparison quite easy to secure, despite its specific 

 name. In the same spot I took five specimens of both sexes of the giant flea, 

 Hystrichopsylla talpa, Curtis, as before in the deserted nest of a field mouse. — Id. : 

 March Uth, 1899. 



Cryptocephalus exigi'us, Schneider, in Lincolnshire. — It will interest your 



I 



