6 



[January, 



Godman and Salvin, in the " Biologia Central!- Americana," quote 

 the Lower Amazon as a locality for C. pitheas, so it is possible both 

 species might occur in the same district, but this wants confirmation. 



C pitheas breaks up geographically into three fairly distinct 



races : — 



Catagramma pitheas centralis — Costa Rica to Panama. 



Catayramma p)itheas Columbiana — Colombia. 



Catagrainma pitheas pitheas — Venezuela, ? Peru. 



G. Cyclops is known from only one localit}^ : — 



Cataijramma cyclops — Lower Amazon, Tapajos, Itaituba. 



The material for these notes was all found in the Hill Museum, 



Witley. 



Surbiton. 



December 1918. 



EGG-LAYING OF EMPHYTUS SEROTINUS. 

 BY T. A. CHAPMAN, M.l)., F.K.S. 



It i^ common knowledge that this species lays its eggs in the late 

 autumn, that it hibernates as an egg which hatches in the spring. 

 I have been unable to find any record of this that goes much beyond the 

 bare statement I have made, and no actual details. 



As this is a very unusual habit amongst sawflies, I thought I should 

 like to know something more about it. My observations leave much to 

 be desired, but they enabled me to form some idea of this portion of the 

 life-history of the insect. 



Last spring I collected some of the larvae, tvhich duly Avent down 

 into the sand I provided them with. Whether this did not suit them or 

 whether my care of them during the summer was defective, a very con- 

 siderable proportion of them perished. Looked at in September, I found 

 there were some of them still larvae ; they were in cavities in the sand, 

 without any sort of cocoon. Flies, however, emerged in October, and 

 some were placed with oak twigs in a glass jar, others were sleeved on 

 growing oak. The flies included several males, but 1 could not ascertain 

 Avhether pairing Avas necessary before eggs could be laid. The sleeved 

 insects, Avith whom no male Avas included, laid no eggs. The flies in the 

 jar laid twenty or thirty eggs ; these were laid on tAvigs of the year, 

 those of the previous year Avere not touched, nor were those of the year 

 that were less than 25 mm. in diameter. 



