270 THE entomologist's record. 



Dinnthiilinin extends even to Australia ; I am greatly indebted to 

 Mr. Rowland E. Turner for a specimen of Dianthidiinn turneri 

 (Anthidiiun turneri, Friese, 1909), taken in November, at Mackay, 

 Queensland. 



Other captures of the past summer were— 



(1) Wangen, Baden, at the famous (Eningen fossil quarries, Bombus 

 variabilis var. iiotomelas, Kriechb., August 5th. 



(2) Gersau, Switzerland, July 30th, Heriades truncorum, L., Bomhns lapidarius, 

 L., B. terrestris, L., B. hi^pnorum, L., B. agronan, F&hr. In hard cells on the 

 face of the rock we obtained Osmia aditnca, Latr., dead. 



(.3) Rigi Kulm, Switzerland (summit of the Rigi), August 1st, P.-:ithyrus 

 rupestris, Fabr., Bomhus lapidarius, L., B. terrestris var. atitiimiialis, Fabr. The 

 last is not quite true to type, having the first (thoracic) band distinctly tinged with 

 yellowish. The top of the Rigi was rather disappointing, being much grazed by 

 cattle. 



(4) Kew Gardens, Surrey, July 20th, at flowers of Spiraea japonica glabrata, 

 Bombus lapidarius, L., B. terrestris, L., Prosopis sp. (annulata ?), and Andrena sp. 



Various small species, Halictufi and ProsopU, and a single male 

 Andrena, have not yet been determined. Not a single Metfochile was 

 seen during the summer. At Richmond, Surrey, I took a specimen 

 of Halirtits s)iu'atlnnanell>ts, which resembles a French specimen in the 

 British Museum, but is not like the British specimens there preserved, 

 these being not nearly so bronzy. Saunders admits only one British 

 species which can possibly include these specimens, but if I received 

 them from some remote country, I should think I had two different 

 things. 



At South Kensington, in the Natural History Museum, I found a 

 Bombus terrestris var. lucoruvi, L. 



Further notes on Abraxas grossulariata. 



By (EEV.) G. H. RAYNOR, M.A. 

 Before recording my experiences in breeding this species during 

 the last two seasons, I feel that I must make some reference to Mr. 

 Porritt's article on this same insect in your June number {antea 

 p, 131). My article {antea pp. 87-8) which he comments on, was 

 intended to be merely a critiiism of the prices given for " Magpies " at 

 the recent " Maddison sale," but, unfortunately, I put my toot in it 

 by concluding with the remark that, although the current value of 

 normal rarlei/ata and lacticolor seemed to be about 10s. each, better, 

 and consequently more valuable, aberrations could be obtained of the 

 latter than of the former. Such a remark I might, perhaps, never 

 have made had I known about the great variability of the series of 

 varleyata Mr. Porritt exhibited in London on December 2nd last. 

 But I must really join issue with him as to the leijitiinacy, and even 

 the interest, of obtaining specimens from the Qgg, compared with 

 rearinty them from wild larvae. Surely if Mr. Porritt himself took a 

 typical female of Tana/p-a atrata at Dcilton, and was lucky enough on 

 the same day to take a pure white male at Rastrick, he would not 

 refrain from attempting to pair them ! Personally, I cannot see why 

 the progeny of such pairing should be less valuable or interesting than 

 if they resulted from natural pairing between the parents out-of-doors. 

 The white and black T. atrata, being born fairly near one another, uiit/ht 

 have paired naturally, but the chances of Mr. Porritt or any other 

 naturalist discovering the resulting larvag would be infinitesimal. 



