1901.] 99 



The late Mr. Leniwn's coUerlion of British Coleoptera. — It, miiy bo of interest 

 to put on record that tliis ei)llectioii lias now bocoino public property ; it lias been 

 acquired, by purchase, by the Museum of Science and Art in Edinburgh. I had 

 the pleasure of looking through the collection when in Edinburgh on December 27th 

 last ; it is in good condition, and very ricli in specimens collected in the counties of 

 the south-west district of Scotland (the Solway District) ; I believe there are over 

 1200 species in the collection from this district alone.— T. Hudson Bhark, King's 

 Road, Richmond : January \^th^ 1901. 



fiteni gliding on the surface oftoater. — Some of the species of Steni frequenting 

 the edges of pools, exercise under certain circumstances, a power which they possess 

 of gliding swiftly over the surface of the water. Though I have watched this 

 movement attentively for hundreds of ■ times, I have never been able to discover by 

 what means it was effected. With a view to induce others to investigate the matter 

 I will point out under what conditions one may expect to secure ai^ exhibition of 

 this curious movement. Going during spring to any pond, fringed as most ponds 

 are in spring with the withered herbage of the previous year's growth, one has but 

 to trample amongst this to see numbers of <SYe»/ struggling on the water. They 

 soon right themselves and begin to crawl towards shore, very slowly, being unable 

 to get secure foothold on the water; but among the number a few will usually be 

 seen to start, rather slowly at first, and then with steadily increasing rapidity to 

 glide, describing a wide curve which, narrowing towards the end, makes a track 

 representing a figure of six. Tlie distance traversed varies fi'om two or three feet to 

 as many yards. Before coming to rest the insect generally revolves on its own axis 

 several times ; no movement of the legs is perceptible, and the water left behind is 

 clear and unruffled, like that produced by a light object impelled by a breeze. 



On one occasion T took some home and floated them in a basin of water; they 

 only crawled until some hot water was poured in, then most of them made circles 

 of a few inches diameter, spun round, and died, but their movements were obscured 

 by the vapour. — A. Piffard, Felden, Boxmoor, Herts: March 9th, 1901. 



Lophopleryx carmelita, Esp., in the New Forest. — Since I do not remember 

 having seen any notice of the occurrence of the rare Lophopteryx rarmelita in 

 Hampshire, I should like to put on record the fact, in the hope that it may be 

 " better late than never," that a specimen in perfect condition was taken at rest on 

 a birch trunk, near Brockenhurst, by Mr. Charles Gulliver in April, 1891, and was 

 added to my collection shortly afterwards. The individual, which is a female, ex- 

 pands 45 mm., and is larger than any of the others in my series, all of which have 

 been bred from ova laid by moths reared in confinement. When so reared, genera- 

 tion after generation, without the introduction of any " fresh blood," the insect 

 gradually decreases in size, and would, in a few years' time, doubtless lose altogether 

 the power of perpetuating its race. — Eustace R. Bankes, Nordcn, Corfe Castle : 

 February 27th, 1901. 



Dark aberration of Kuplthecia nanata, at Shirley, Surrey. — Am.ong some 

 Lepidoptera lately received for identification from Mr. A. H. Shepherd, I was much 

 interested to find a strikingly dark aberration of Enpithecia nanata, taken by liitu 



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