1900.] 115 



Note on Halobates in the Indian Ocean. — Crossing the Indian Ocean to Cape 

 Leeuwin we had the finest weather imaginable, often quite calm, so that I was able 

 to note the occurrence of Halobates on many occasions ; it could even be called 

 plentiful at a distance of at least 500 miles from the nearest land, but as the ship 

 was going at least 15 knots per hour, it was out of the question to procure any so 

 as to identify the species.— J. J. Walkee, Sydney, N. S. W. : February llth, 1900. 



Chilomenes (Coccinella) lunata, Fab , at Bristol. — A specimen of this South 

 African ladybird was recently given to me alive by a gentleman who took it from a 

 bunch of grapes purchased in Bristol. As the grapes in question had been imported 

 from the Cape, there is no doubt whatever as to the nationality of the insect ; but 

 in view of the fact that it has never been taken in Grreat Britain before, its capture 

 seems worthy of record. According to the Rev. H. S. Gorham, who kindly identi- 

 fied the insect for me, Chilomenes lunata is extremely abundant over almost the 

 whole of the African Continent, from Upper Egypt to the Cape, while it has been 

 recorded from India, Java, and even the Swan River ! To these latter localities, of 

 course, it is only an accidental visitor. — Theodore Wood, 157, Trinity Road, Upper 

 Tooting, S.W. : April 3rd, 1900. 



Notes on Loxocera. — In Series 2, vol. x, p. 65 (March, 1899), of this Magazine, 

 Mr. Austen describes a " new variety " of Loxocera, and gives some interesting notes of 

 the species known to be British. Having looked through the records of Diptera in 

 the Ent. Mo. Mag. for several years, and referred to two lists published by Mr. P. H. 

 Grimshaw, in " The Naturalist " for 1898, and two in " The Annals of Scottish 

 Natural History," 1899 and 1900, 1 can only find one species of Loxocera mentioned, 

 viz., L. aristata, Tz., taken by Col. Yerbury in Inverness-shire, recorded in Mr. 

 Grimshaw's list for that county (" Annals," 1900, p. 29). May I supplement this 

 paucity of records by a few notes ? 



In July, 1883, working with Walker's Insecta Britannica, I indicated two species 

 taken in the north of Scotland as L. ichneumonea, L., and L. sylvatica, Mg. (" The 

 Scottish Naturalist," 1883, p. 19). Only recently have I again turned to this genus, 

 and I find that with regard to the former species I was wrong, and it should have 

 been : — 



L. aristata, Pz. — I have specimens of this species from Aberdeen, June 26th, 

 1873, Keith; Banffshire, June 20th, 187 1 ; Leicestershire, July 26th, 1885 ; and 

 from moor, near Princetown, Devon, August 27th, 1883. 



L. sylvatica, Mg., which Mr. Austen appears to know only from the south-west 

 of England, I have taken in Aberdeenshire June Ist, 1874, also at Muchalls, on the 

 Kincardinshire Coast, June 2l3t, 1873 ; and here, in Leicestershire, May 21st, 1884, 

 and May 16th, 1896. 



L. albiseta, Schrk., is said by Mr. Austen to be the commonest of our British 

 species, but I have only two records of it. I have taken it in this county September 

 8th, 1893, and have received a specimen from Mr. H. Donisthorpe taken at Chid- 

 dingfold, 1898. 



The latitudes and dates of the above captures approximate very closely to thosa 



K 2 



