U20.] 233 



above Dipteron (kindly ideutiliedby JNJr. F. \V. Edwards) swarming on a young 

 ash plant. The leaves were black with them. Wiien first noticed, about 

 3 P.M., they were resting on the upper surlace of the leaves. On passing 

 again two hours later they were to be seen on the under surface of the leaves. 

 The weather was sunny at the time and had been hot and drv for some days. 

 This fly is very common round the district, usually occurring singly or in pairs, 

 but never before have I seen such numbers together. 1 could find no reascu 

 for their swarming. About 2 feet away, however, on a circle of dead grass, 

 were hundreds of dead wasps, and it is possible that someone had destroyed a 

 nest at the spot. The grass had not been fired, as the rest was still green. 

 Could there have been any connection ?— Douglas Bacchus, 78, Hampton 

 lioad, Redlaud, Bristol ; Septemhei- 1st, 1919. 



[Miss Plibbert-Ware recently sent to the Britivsh Museum examples of 

 S. cijnipsea from Swanley, Kent, where " the leaves of alders and river grasses 

 we:e black with them." Walker, in his"Insecta Britanuica," Diptera, says 

 the species is often found in swarms. Its life-history is unknown. — F. W. E.] 



Notes //•('?» the Hill Museum, Witley, Surrey. — Mr. J. J. Joicey has 

 recently acquired the important collection of Lepidoptera formed by Mr. II. J. 

 Elwes, F.K.S., and the large collection of Heliconius formed by the late 

 II. iiiflfarth. The Elwes Collection contains most of the types of species of the 

 Indo-Austnilian fauna described by Elwes, as also some types of Doherty, 

 de Nic^ville, Cbristoph, and Staudinger. There is also included the material 

 which formed the basis of the famous monograph on the Oriental Hesperiidae 

 by Elwes and Edwards, and also the material for the papers by Elwes on the 

 gene a Ypthima and Oeneis, and on the butterflies of Chile. This collection is 

 especially rich in Lycaenidite, and students of this group will find at the Hill 

 Museum one of the largest collections. The Riffartii Collection of Heliconius, 

 upon which was based the monograph by Biffarth and Stichel, contains over 

 2000 specimens, and includes 360 types and paratypes of forms described by 

 Eiffarth and Stichel. The collection of Heliconius now at the Flill Museum is 

 perhaps unrivalled. The Museum has in progress papers on the Lepidoptera 

 of Hainan, of the Schouten Islands, of Dutch New Guinea, Misol, Aru, Key, 

 Tenimber, Obi and Sula Islands, and of Central Ceram. Mr. T. A. Barns, F.Z.S., 

 has recently returned from an expedition of twelve months' duration through 

 little-known parts of Central Africa, undertaken on behalf of Mr. Joicey. A 

 very fine collection of Lepidoptera was obtained, and Mr. Barns has recorded 

 many valuable biological observations. A report on this collection is in progress. 

 Mr. Barns was accompanied by his wife on the trip of over 3000 miles. 

 Cinematograph films were taken en route and some are of important scientific 

 interest. Consignments of Lepidoptera are shortly expected from Dutch New 

 Guinea, where Mr. Joicey's collectors, the three brothers Pratt, are at work in 

 the mountainous interior of an area entomologically unexplored. It is proposed 

 to publish a catalogue of all the types of Lepidoptera existing in the Hill 

 Museum, as these are now very numerous and concern many different authors. 

 Students desirous of comparing specimens and types are invited to write to the 

 Curator, The Hill Museum, Witley, Surrey. — Geo. TALnoT, The Hill Museum, 

 Witley : Auyusf, -lAth, 1920. 



X 



