154 THE entomologist's recoed. 



which are ahuost entirely the result of Mr. Evans' own collecting ; 

 though, of course, neither the species nor the localities are numerous, 

 it is an excellent beginning, for our knowledge of the distribution of 

 orthoptera in Scotland is extremely poor, and we warmly welcome the 

 author as a recruit to the slender ranks of British orthopterists. There 

 are no species of any striking interest. Labia minor, L.,is noticed from 

 three localities in the Edinburgh district ; it seems to appear later in 

 the year than in the south of England. We are more familiar with the 

 lesser earwig in -June and the eai-ly summer, but all Mr. Evans' speci- 

 mens are dated from August to the end of September. 'JHti.r hipioir- 

 tatits, L., appears to be widely distributed in Scotland, but T. sitbidatKs, 

 Li., a more southerly form, is not recorded; strangely enough, no 

 Locustodca are included, though our three commonest species are almost 

 certain to occur, even if sparingly. Mr. Evans calls attention to three 

 very old and interesting lists. (1) Thelirst is by Sibbald (1684) where we 

 find reference to '' J llatta, the mothfly." If this does refer to the cockroach, 

 " mothfly " is a curious name, which is entirely unfamiliar to me. If 

 any readers of the Entomolo;iist\s lU'conl have ever heard of it before, I 

 should be very glad to hear from them. (2) A list by C. Stewart, 

 published in the Memoirs of the Wernerian Society, in 1811, includes 

 (injllns raritis, which Mr. Evans considers to be 2Ieconema raritim, 

 Fabr., if so, this is our first record of this locustid in Scotland. 

 " (Trullns qKadratufi " is doubtful, it may be (xfrniplidccnis maeiilatiis, 

 Thunb. (3) A third list by G. Don (1813) includes (Tri/llotaljiaiiri/Ilnfaljia, 

 L., and (injlhiH campestris, L.; both forms are unknoAvn in Scotland at 

 the present day, though Mr. Evans quotes a few old references, which 

 point to their occurrence ; it seems unlikely that such peculiar and 

 remarkable insects could be mistaken, and the species may have 

 disappeared. Mr. Evans suggests that Merostethiis e/rofisns, L., may be 

 found in Scottish marshes, and that Loctista ririilissima and Meconema 

 rariiuii have disappeared from Scotland. The former of these two is 

 numerous in Scandinavia, and should be rediscovered in Scotland, at 

 least in the lowland counties. The Scotch orthoptera fauna is poorer 

 even than that of England, but there are certain northern forms which 

 may yet be discovered. Tetti.r fidii/inosux is the largest European 

 species of the genus, and might occur in the Highlands — it is noted 

 from Sweden, Lapland, and Norway. Poilisma fri(/i(iiim, Boh., is an 

 apterous form not rare in Norway, and should be carefully sought in 

 the Scottish mountains; Deeticus rernirirorits, L., which is so rare in 

 the south of England, but quite common in Sweden, may also occur.— 

 Malcolm Burr, Dormans Park, East Grinstead. 



J^OTES ON LIFE-HISTORIES, LARV^, &c. 



Egg-laying of Cymatophora octogesima. — A ? Ci/matophura 

 octotjesima was captured at Hazeleigh Rectory on June 29th, 1900. 

 She was kept alive for ten days in a cardboard box Avith living sprays 

 of black, white, and balsam poplars and weeping willow. An 

 analysis of eggs laid on each leaf results as follows : — On weeping 

 willow, 8, 2, 5, all on uppersides of leaves ; on black poplar, 7, 7, 3, 1, 

 of which 8 (including a batch of 7) Avere on undersides of leaves ; on white 

 poplar, 16, 10, 5, 1, 1, all on upperside except one; on balsam poplar, 

 2, 2, all on upper side except one. — Total 70. The eggs sometimes 



