72 [March, 



A. cras.sipes, Mg. — While looking on the alders and sallows foi* A. marginata 

 I kept a sharp look out for this rare insect, and in the last few days of my stay had 

 the pleasure of taking it sparingly. 



Eristalis cryptarxtm, F. — This handsome little Dipteron occurred at Matley 

 Bog. My specimens were taken while working for Anthrax fenestratus, Y\n., and 

 they seemed specially attracted by the flowers of the Potentilla. 



SyrpJius nifeiift, Ztt. — I took a single male of this species at Rliinefields. — 

 H. W. Andrews, Shirley, Welling : Februar;/ Rth, 1905. 



Bare Diptera in. 1903. — I take this opportunity of recording the following 

 three species taken in 1903. Mnchimux rusticu.t, Mg. : I had the good fortune to 

 take a pair of this scarce Asilid in coitu in a sheltered part of the cliffs near Fresh- 

 water, Tsle of Wight, on August 13th, 1903; I am indebted to Mr. Verrall for 

 kindly identifying this species. Anthrax circnnulatus, Mg., and Didea alneti. Fin. : 

 single specimens of each taken at Matley Bog on the same day (August 21st, 1903). 

 —Id. 



Note on a Tachinid. — Dr. Chapman very kindly gave me a Tachinid, together 

 with the appended note upon the same, and suggested that if I thought it worth 

 while I should send the note on for publication. The interesting facts concerning 

 the long period of quiescence on the part of the Tachinid larva seems worth placing 

 on record, although I unfortunately cannot supply its name. It is apparently a 

 Pronopsea, Rdi., but is most probably an \indescribed species. Its most important 

 characters are the great length of the third antennal joint, which is eight times the 

 length of the second, the arista with second joint but little longer than broad, 

 and the 3rd joint thickened nearly to the point. The facial cilia short, not numerous 

 (about 14), and not exceeding three-fifths of the distance from the vibrissse to the 

 base of the antennae ; the chin about one-fourth as wide as the heighth of the eye. 

 There is a slight cubital appendage to the fourth longitudinal vein of the wing, the 

 angle of which is distinctly obtuse. In other respects it is a normal Proaopxa 

 according to Brauer and von Berganstamm. It is a female, and is labelled, " bred 

 January 15th, 1905, from Ocnogyna Ixtica, Madrid, 1904.— T. A. C."— Colbran 

 J. Wainwright, Birmingham : January, 1905. 



Dr. Chapman's note is — The history of most Tachinid parasites of Lepidoptera 

 I have met with gives the Dipterous larva emerging from its host whilst the latter 

 is still a larva, or very shortly after its change to pupa. The larva then hardens 

 into the so-called pupa, and in this state it passes most of the time it has to bo 

 quiescent with us through winter. This specimen of Prosopxa sp., however, 

 emerged from a pupa of Oonorjyna bsetica shortly after the emergence of the moths 

 from the healthy pupse, viz., lute in November, having been as a larva within the 

 pupa during its whole aestivation (from April to October). Resisting all tendency 

 of the summer heat to hurry it forward as a larva, the pupa responded to the 

 warmth of my mantelshelf, and the fly appeared January 15th. Naturally I suppose 

 it would have emerged in March or April ready to sting the then feeding larvje of 

 the Ocnogyna. It is very possible that I hurried it out of the pupa of its host, and 

 that naturally it does not leave it till early spring A curious circumstance is that 

 the pupa case of the moth broke up for the emergence of the larva of the parasite 

 in a manner very similar to that for the emergence of the moth.— T. A. Chapman, 

 Betula, Reigate : January \Qth, 1905. 



