1896.J 41 



as a rule, and in some seasons I do not notice more than two or three specimens ; 

 this year, however, proved the exception, for they were extremely abundant at the 

 end of May and in June, and were to be seen by dozens flying round, and sitting 

 on, the apple and lilac blossom in the bright sunshine. Near these special attractions 

 the whole air seemed full of them, and every bunch of lilac bloom, however small, 

 had several tenants. That this beetle was no less abundant in at least one other 

 part of the country is clear from a letter headed " Injurious Insects in 1895," and 

 published in " The Times " of December 24th, in which Miss E. A. Ormerod says, 

 " The beautiful golden chafer, the Cetonia aiirata, appeared in such vast numbers 

 in one district that the capture of thousands appeared not to lessen the numbers, 

 and much damage was done by the beetles to apple and other blossoms." — Id. 



Psammobius ccbsus, Panz., in the Scilly Isles. — I took two or three specimens of 

 this species on Tresco, one of the Scilly Isles, in October, 1890. Mr. J. J. Walker 

 named the insect for me. Had I known it was a rarity I might have hunted for 

 more.* — C. W. Dale, Glanvilles Wootton, Dorset : December 20th, 1895. 



Exotic Coccids in England. — Parlatoria Pergandii, Comstock : some dark 

 specks on the rind of an orange bought in a village shop proved upon examination 

 to be scales of the above species. They covered living females and eggs ; the former 

 of a dull purplish colour. I notice that the ventral part of the scale is well de- 

 veloped, and completely encloses the insect. Asterolecanitim bambusce, Boisd. : in 

 the palm house at Kew I find a species of Asterolecanium plentiful upon the stems 

 and leaves of several kinds of bamboo. It appears to be identical with A. bambiisa 

 of Boisduval.— E. E. Green, Bearsted, Kent : December, 1895. 



Nothochrysa capitata at Huddersfield. — Mr. S. L. Mosley of this town has just 

 given me a specimen of Nothochrysa capitata taken during the past season at 

 Newsome, Huddersfield. The species has not hitherto been recorded so far west in 

 Yoi'kshire, but I have taken it in several widely separated woods further east in the 

 county. — Geo. T. Pobeitt, Crosland Hall, Huddersfield : January \Oth, 1896. 



Abundance of Halesus guttatipennis in North Yorkshire. — Several weeks ago 

 my friend Mr. G. C. Dennis, of York, wrote me that when fishing at Pickering on 

 November 9th last, he noticed a Trichopteron in immense profusion on the bushes 

 along the water side, and that he had boxed a few specimens for me to see. These 

 specimens (14 in number) he brought here a few days ago, and my pleasure may be 

 imagined when I saw they were Halesus guttatipennis, a species hitherto so rare 

 that only three British examples had been recorded, and all of them taken singly. 

 Mr. Dennis says that on the day he saw them he could easily have taken a thousand. 

 —Id. 



[The species of the genus Halesus are often of local distribution, but, as a rule, 

 i occurring in profusion in their special habitats ; they are mostly strictly autumnal. 



* I also have seen one of the specimens, and there can be no doubt as to the determination. 

 -G. C. C. 



U 



