224 [September, 1902. 



years 1893 to 1901, giving a table showing the number of specimens of each species, 

 and the proportion this number bore to the total number killed. 



Another correspondent, Mr. Eobert T. Pritchett, has for the last two years sent 

 me the queen wasps killed in his neighbourhood (Burghfield and Sulhampstead, 

 near Reading) in response to an offer of a prize for the greatest number killed. 

 The proportions in which the various species occur in the Berkshire locality are 

 so different to those in the Irish that I think a comparison of them may be of 

 interest. 



Of the 1155 specimens from Fassaroe 5S8 were vulgaris, 207 sylvestris, 119 

 ritfa, 115 germanica, 109 norvegica, and 17 anstriaca. 



Of the 334 from Burghfield, &c, 228 were germanica, 56 rufa, 45 vulgaris, 

 5 sylvestris (norvegica and austriaca not being represented). 



The comparative percentages of the various species are accordingly — 



vulgaris 50'9 at Fassaroe, 135 at Burghfield. 



germanica ...... \0'0 ,, ,, 68"3 ,, ,, 



rufa 10-3 „ „ 16'7 „ 



sylvestris 17*9 ,, ,, 1*5 ,, ,, 



norvegica 9'4 ,, ,, 0*0 ,, ,, 



austriaca 1*5 ., ,, O'O ,, ,, 



showing an extraordinary preponderance of vulgaris in the Irish locality, and of 

 germanica in the English ; sylvestris also has a much higher percentage at Fassaroe. 

 It would be of great interest to get data on this subject from other places, and 

 I should be grateful to any one who offers rewards for queen wasps if he would 

 send me the specimens collected, so that the proportions of the species in the 

 locality can be determined. — Edward Saunders, St. Ann's, Woking : August 

 8th, 1902. 



P.S. — Since writing the above, Mr. Dennis Pack Beresford, of Bagenalstown, 

 has kindly sent me the particulars of the queen wasps captured by him this spring 

 during a stay in Northamptonshire. These are very similar in proportions to the 

 Berkshire records, viz., germanica, 44, vulgaris, 3, rufa, 3, sylvestris, 6, but ger- 

 manica is even in larger preponderance. — E. S. 



A melanic aberration of Miris Icevigatus, L. — On August 25th, 1901, I cap- 

 tured by sweeping in some waste ground at Bickley, Kent, a dark Capsid possessing 

 the shape of a Miris, which Mr. Saunders, to whom I submitted the specimen, at 

 first thought might possibly be something new to our list ; he, however, has been 

 unable to refer it to any other species than 31. lavigatus. The specimen, neverthe- 

 less, seems worth recording, as it is so very different in coloration to ordinary 

 specimens of any of the species of 3Iiris or Megalocercea ; it has the head, thorax, 

 and scutellum, the elytra down to the base of the membrane, the two lower joints 

 of the antenna?, together with the legs, dull black, while the apical portions of the 

 elytra, and the 3rd and 4th joints of the antennae, are brownish, the membrane 

 smoky-brown. I do not know of any previous record of a similarly coloured speci- 

 men in either of the genera mentioned. — F. B. Jennings, 152, Silver Street, Upper 

 Edmonton, N. : August 14>th, 1902. 



