CURRENT N0TP:S. 73 



of onr readers have short notes of observations and experiences from 

 the past season, which are of more than personal interest. Even of 

 the commonest species there is often a great deal of life history yet 

 unwritten and unknown. 



From Mr. E. S. Bagnall, F.E.S., we have received copies of 

 reprints of articles contributed by him to the Jaiirnal of Economir 

 Ptiohtijii, and to the 'J'ransactionfi of the Nat. fh'st. Sor. of Nortliioiiber- 

 lavil, ]>tir/ioni, ami Xeiicastle-on-Ti/ne, on the subject of the Thynan- 

 optera. From the former Journal we have Xutes on some new and rare 

 Thi/sauoptera {Terebrautia) : irith a I'rdiiinnarij List of the knoini 

 British sjiecieti. He describes the following species as new to science, 

 all having been discovered in the British Isles : — Frankliniella brericeps, 

 from Acton, Auihlythrips ericae, from Ravenscar, Yorks, (hvtjthrips 

 brericollis, from the same place, Bai/naUia aynessae, from Gibside, co. 

 Durham, and 1>. halidat/i, from near Chingford. At the same time he 

 records the following species as new to Britain : — Eiithrips pallipennis, 

 from Hart, co. Durham, (Kvijthrips breristi/lis, from various places in 

 Northumberland and Durham, on flowers of pine, Thrips albopilosus, 

 from Nethy Bridge, Inverness-shire, on juniper, and T. ralidiis, from 

 Gibside. The List of British species contains the names of 74 species, 

 exactly double the number recorded many years ago by Haliday, who, 

 up to the present time, was the only serious student of this " neglected," 

 but economically important order. The second reprint contains 

 descriptions of two species new to science, both first met with in the 

 Derwent Valley at Gibside, etc., viz. : — Tricothrips propinquus and 

 T. lom/isetis. We also note that in the Annales de la Societe Kntoinolo- 

 fjique de Behiique, recently received, Mr. Bagnall contributes a series 

 of notes on various continental species of l^hysanoptera. Mr. Bagnall 

 urges his friends to send him further material from all parts, but he 

 would especially welcome it from the South of England, where, he is 

 convinced, many new forms await discovery. 



In the same Annales, dated February 8rd, we notice a somewhat 

 strong criticism of the work of one of our best known Hemipterists, 

 Mr. W. L. Distant, written by Mr. E. Bergroth. 



SOCIETIES. 



Entomological Society of London. — Wednesday, February \st, 

 1911. — Mr. G. T. Bethune Baker in the chair. Nomination of 

 President.- — It was announced that the Council had nominated the 

 Rev. P\ D. Morice, M.A., as President for the current j'ear. Species 

 OF the (lENus HELicoNiTis. — ]\Ir. W. J. Kayc exhibited several species 

 of this genus from Eastern Ecuador, including the forms rabripicta, 

 adonides, and feyeri, with streaked hind wings. He observed that it 

 seemed now to be possible and even likely that H. welpnmene aylaope 

 Avould eventually be proved to be linked with H. jdesseni through these 

 newly discovered forms, and that this species would then have to be 

 sunk as a subspecies of H. tnelpouiene. Similarly, H. notabilis through 

 ilia B,Yid feyeri was probably only a subspecies of H. erato, though the 

 material was insufficient at present to form a conclusion. Tachyportis 

 fasciatus, — Dr. Nicholson showed two specimens of Tachyporus 

 fasciatiis, nov. sp., taken at Wicken Fen from under sedge- refuse, the 

 one in April, the other in August, 1910. This species is intermediate 

 between T. solutns, Er., and T. ehrysoweliniis, L. It differs from the 

 former in the shape of the antennn?, which are of the same length, but 



