74 [March, 



preferred to die rather than proceed to the perfect state, though I gave them everj 

 comfort, not to say luxury. One, however, did proceed to the change. It was 

 evidently on the point of doing so when I captured it, for it had got part way 

 through the process in the box in my pocket while I was carrying it from the field. 

 I killed it before it had completed the process, and it is a most curious looking 

 object. The head, pronotum, and scutelluni are developed, and are olive-green, 

 smooth, and sparingly punctured, while the rest of the creature remains in the 

 pupal state. 



The insect sits on the stems or thorns of the gorse, and if disturbed runs down 

 the stem, or drops, and the thorns effectually prevent a rapid movement of the 

 hand in pursuit. They harmonize well with the colour of the gorse, for I wanted 

 to show them to my man, and until I put my insect forceps upon them he did not 

 see them and told me that had I not pointed them out he would never have noticed 

 them, and he is by no means unobservant. 



I hope that in my attempt to describe the larva I have made myself clear, but 

 I must ask indulgence for shortcomings as I do not profess to be an fait in the 

 matter. — W. F. Johnson, Acton Grlebe, Poyntzpass : December ijth, 1900. 



[Mr. Johnson writes to me on January 20th : " The insect has been about all 

 through the winter up to the present date. Every day that there is a little sunshine 

 it comes out of its retreat. Yesterday was bright, though there was snow on the 

 ground, and there were the insects sitting on the gorse in sheltered corners in the 

 sunshine." — E. S.] 



Notes on Bipteru in the New Forest during 1900.— As regards weather and 

 temperature the past season was almost a repetition of 1899, another cold lagging 

 spring being followed by a very dry hot summer and autumn. I was at Lyndhurst 

 from April 7th to 21st, when the sallows, rather later than usual, were in full 

 bloom. The weather however being cold and boisterous few insects of any kind 

 were about, Diptera being especially scarce, and one Criorrhina ruficauda, Deg., one 

 iServiUia ursina, Mg., and two Chilosia grossa, Fin., were the best that fell to my 

 net. 



My next visit was from May ICth to June 1st, and although the weather was 

 fine the nights continued cold and Diptera remarkable for their absence, my only 

 captures worth mentioning being two Lasiopogon cinctus, F., two Pipunculus 

 vittipes, Ztt., nine Didea fasciata, Mcq., and one Neottiophilum prceustuiii, Mg. 

 Keturning again on June 28th I found matters had improved with the warmer 

 weather, and common Diptera were fairly plentiful, though not in swarms as I have 

 seen them a few years back. Of rarer species both Mallota eristaloides, Lw., and 

 Callicera aenea, F., showed a falling off, only one out of two of the former and two 

 of the latter being taken, and these were all I saw. Dioctria linearis, Fin., was 

 abundant in Brick Kiln enclosure, as also a Pipunculus I take to be campestris, Ltr., 

 whilst Myiolepta hiteola, Gmel., and Alophora hemiptera, F., were to be found on 

 Portugal laurel and Umbellifcrse. 



At Matley Passage, near the sandpit, Anthrax fenestrata. Fin., seemed to revel 

 in the almost tropical heat, and I sccui'ed a nice lot, as well as a few Thereva annti- 

 lata, F. Several excursions were also made into the adjoining bog, which at the 



