1920.] Ill 



that name to pterygomalis Boli., (2) that the Yorkshire record refers to 

 the last-named insect. — E. G. Bayford, 2 Rockingham Street, Barnsley : 

 April \^th, 1920. 



Coleoptera in the Isle of Wight at Easter. — A. specimen of the apparently 

 very rare Otiorrhi/nchus ligustici L, has recently been taken by myself at the 

 foot of the cliff's to the west of Ventnor sheltering under a handful of dry grass 

 and rubbish. 1 shall be glad if anyone can refer me to the last record of its 

 capture in Britain. A single example of Afenieles jxn-adoxus Grav. occurred 

 in the nest of a species of Myrmica close to the shore, in the same locality as 

 the above. Cathormiocerus socius Boh. was found sparingly both at Sandown 

 and Ventnor, as also was Mecinus circulatus Marsh. Tychins sclmeideri Ilei'bst 

 was not uncommon at Ventnor on its food-plant Anthyllis vubieraria, — E. C. 

 Bedwbll, Bruggeu, Brighton Road, Coulsdou, Surrey : April \'2th, 1920. 



Insects on the wing in winter. — I have read Mr. Hugh Scott's notes in the 

 Ent. Mo. Mag. for March on the appearance of insects on the wing in winter, 

 and venture to furnish you with a note of my own observation. After the 

 armi.stice 1 found myself dumped in a ruined chateau about six miles south of 

 Valtncienues. In January 1919 we had a very heavy fall of snow. The day 

 following the fall was one of gorgeous sunshine, though the thermometer never 

 rose above freezing-point at ground-level. In the afternoon 1 was surprised to 

 tind on the virgin surface of the snow a good man}' specimens of at least three 

 species of beetles and sundiy small ffies. The beetles were lying with their 

 wings extended, and I gathered several of them for the purposes of ideu- 

 titication, but unfortunately they were lost with a portion of my kit before 

 I got home. So far as I can remember, some were a species of Lungitarsus or 

 allied genus, whilst others were small Staphglinidae. These insects were found 

 to leeward of a wooded bank which faced south. I suppose they had been 

 hibernating in crevices of bark, and deluded by the sun's heat on the trees had 

 essayed a ffight, only to fall again when they got into the cold air. Ou the 

 face of it, it souuds rather curious that insects should be stirred into activity 

 when the air-temperature is so low, but I can quite imagine that the sun in 

 winter on a perfectly still day striking full on a tree does raise the bark- 

 temperature considerably. It is probable, therefore, that an insect on rising into 

 the air would become numbed at once, for its surface could not possibly absorb 

 enough heat. The previous winter I was in Italy, and there I noticed lizards 

 moving about on a wall which directly faced the sua at noon, even though the 

 ground was frozen hard. They were only seen, however, for about an hour. — 

 Allan DysOiN Pkruins, Daveuham, Malvern ; March 3lst, 1920. 



Andrena rujicrus Nyl. in Yorkshire. — I am glad to be able to report that 

 this little-known British bee occurred in considerable numbers at Adel, near 

 Leeds, during March this year. Although old sjjecimens from Yorkshire are in 

 existence, it is not known in wiiat part of the county the}' were taken, and it 

 is at least seventy-five years since they were collected. I believe that this 

 note constitutes the first precise record of the occurrence of A. rujicrus in 

 England, as well as in Yorkshire. It may be well to recall that the species 



