248 [October, 



? Specimens, one of which I took at Jericho, and the otlier at Algiers. 

 Each of these has been identified for me as (probably) Saliiis pro- 

 pinquus, Lep., the former by Herr Kohl, the latter by Mr. E. Saunders. 

 These insects, though females, are practically entirely black, the 

 usual red band on the abdomen being conspicuous by its absence, and 

 only tlie extreme edges of the basal dorsal segments just where they 

 fold over the corresponding ventral i)lates, the mandibles and mouth 

 parts, and the legs at their articulations, showing a slight tendency to 

 rufescence. The apical portions of the fore-wings are occupied by a 

 dark cloud enclosing a very large and cons|)icuous hyaline spot; and 

 thei'e is also (much in the style of Ar/enia varier/ata, L.) another deep 

 stain along the basal nervures forming a distinct broadish fascia. The 

 clypeus is scarcely emarginate, punctured, and dull, except on its 

 extreme apex, in the centre of which is a little shining triangular 

 space. The vertex and pronotum are very closely punctured and 

 quite dull ; on the mesouotum and still more the scutellum the punc- 

 tures are rather more sparse, and the surface therefore slightly 

 shining; the mesopleura? are closely (reticulately) rugose and dull, 

 the propodeum shining with conspicuous and uninterrupted transverse 

 striations. The insect is clothed with a short silvery pubescence, for 

 the most part, how'ever, only visible in certain lights, that on the 

 pygidial area is darker (fuscescent), and there are some longer whitish 

 hairs about the apex of the clypeus, the vertex, the occipital and 

 prothoracic regions (including the front coxae), the under-side of the 

 abdomen, and its apex. The ocelli are arranged in a nearly equi- 

 hiteral triangle, and the posterior pair are rather nearer to each other 

 than to the compound eyes. This description will, 1 hope, be suffi- 

 cient for the identiticatiou of the species by any one fortunate enough 

 to meet with it. 



The ^ of propinquus is, I believe, not certainly known. It is to 

 be hoped that Miss Chawner's future searches in her neighbourhood 

 may clear this matter up. In the meantime I may say that I have 

 taken at Algiers a ^ Salius, which seems very likely to be the creature 

 in question. It is black, with a striated propodeum, and wings with 

 a double fuscous cloud (as in propinquus, ? ), but, as is natural, 

 without the essentially $ character of the hyaline apical spot. 



Whether or not this insect be the true propinquus, Lep., and 

 whether, if so, it be really a good species, or only a melanic form of 

 some usually rcsd-banded Salius, it is at any rate remarkable that it 

 should occur in this country, and, having occurred now, that it should 



