ruUHENT NOTES. 2^)'.) 



leaves, ami tlirust them into his pocket to keep other things steady. 

 On his arrival liome very wet, the contents of his pockets ^\•ere emptied 

 on to a table in his study and next day he found two ants, Avliich lie 

 could not recognise, running about over the leaves. Sup2)0!<ing these 

 to have been brought honn' with the leaves from Cannwood, thev were 

 .sent as such to Mr. E. Saunders, wlio at once identified them as Prenolepiti 

 n'vkhda, Xylander, a native of Egypt, Palestine, Texas, Australia, etc. 

 Mr. Bignell then reniend)ered that on the same night on which he had 

 brought home the leaves, his daughter had returned home from London 

 with a growing palm in a pot which had been placed on the same table 

 as the leaves, he therefore concludes now that the ants came with tlie 

 palms. 



Mr. G. C. Champion {E.M.M., June) adds Otlorrhyncm auropimdatm 

 to the Bi'itish list on the strength of specimens captured by Mr. Halbert 

 in Ireland. Mr. Halbert states that it is locally common near Dublin, 

 principally on the coast in the counties of Dublin, Meath and Louth, 

 and that he had found it in moss, and by beating hedges and trees, 

 and also by sweeping. 



Mr. C. G. Barrett points out {E.M.M., June) that the larvjxi of the 

 April brood of Elachista ccrusselhi cannot feed, as do those of the 

 August brood, in the leaves of the common reed (Arundo 2)hrntjiaites), 

 inasmuch as those leaves die down in the winter and have not grown 

 up in April. INlr. Barrett had received from Mr. W. C. Boyd some 

 broad leaves of the reed grass or reed canary grass {FJialaris 

 arundinacea) in which the larvae of this species were feeding, and is 

 inclined to think that this may be the customary food-2:)lant of the 

 early brood. 



Mr. F, Enock records (Science Gossip, June) the capture, after 

 many years' unavailing search, of the very rare aquatic hymenopterous 

 insect, PoJijnema natans, Lubljock. This insect swims about in the 

 water, using its wings for that purpose. It is one of the Mijrinaridne 

 or Fairy-flies, and lays its eggs in the eggs of dragon-flies. 



Mons. E. Andre gives {BnU. Soc. D'Hist. Nat. de Macon, June) the 

 following interesting account of the habits of the " Processionary 

 Caterpillar of the Pine" {Cnethocampa pityocampa). The caterpillars 

 are to be found in the spring in communities numbering 100 to 150 

 inhabiting white silken balls which are placed at the bifurcation of two 

 branches of a pine tree, and which vary in size from that of the fist to 

 that of the head. " The^'^ are rarely met with far from the nest 

 during the day, esi:>ecially if the weather be fine ; but when evenino- 

 comes, one of them determines to sally forth, followed l:)y all the 

 others, which form an luunterrupted chain, each one touching the one 

 in front with its head. From time to time the leader stops in order to 

 give time for the column to Ije formed, and does not resume its 

 progress until it finds itself followed. As they go along each one 

 spins a silk thread, which Avill serve as a guide on the return march. 

 These threads together form a silk ribbon from one to two millimetres 

 broad. If one proceeds to separate the colunni into two ]iarts 1)y 

 throwing away some of the caterpillars, those in front stop directly and 

 wait till the others have rejoined them. Once arrived at a branch 

 well provided with verdure, each applies itself to the task of eatinc as 

 much as possible, without troubling itself to keep the order of march ; 

 but when the time to return has come, the jirocession is formed a<'ain 



