'1.2 [July, 



In Aphalara 6 species : — exilis, Ljungli (otherwise attributed to Weber and 

 Mohr) ; affinis, Zett. ; caltJicB, JAn., ^= picta, Zett. ; nervosa, Foerst. ; artemisice, 

 Foerst. ; graminis, Lin., = nebulosa, Zett., = radiata, Scott. 



In HhinocoJa 2 species : — averis, Lin. ; ericce, Curt., = callunce, Boh. 

 In Livia 1 species: — juncorum, Zett. (more properly Latr.). 

 Chermes sorbi, quercus, calthcB, and graminis, of Linne, have puzzled eveiy one 

 for more than a century, and yet they are here referred to as a matter of course. 

 When a species can be undoubtedly referred to the description of an old author his 

 name ought certainly to be adopted, but it is not stated on what evidence the con- 

 clusions have been arrived at with regard to these species so long hidden from 

 recognition. 



Chermes soi-hi, Lin. : Thomson's description fairly agrees with Linne's. 



„ quercus, Lin., has " 4 brown spots on the anterior margin and one on 

 the interior margin of the elytra": — Thomson's is "orange spotted 

 with white ; elytra hyaline with pale nerves," — and not a word 

 about brown spots. 

 „ culthce, Lin. : Thomson says, = picta, Zett., but Reutcr gives folygoni, 

 Foerst., as the only synonym, and enumerates picta, Zett., as a 

 distinct species. 

 „ graminis, Lin., has " pedes non saltatorii," which would at least make 

 it doubtful if it were one of the PsyUidcB at all, but this is not 

 noticed by Thomson, who gives it as = nehiilosa, Zett., = radiata, 

 Scott ; which last species, at any rate, does not accord with Thom- 

 son's words " elytris fere ut in A. exili nebulosis." 

 One cannot but admire the wonderful succinctness of Thomson's diagnoses, but 

 it is doubtful if they are sufficient to differentiate new species, especially if the par- 

 ticular species, with which comparison is made, is not before the student ; and no 

 dimensions are given. Neither are the plants on which the insects are found, nor 

 the times of their appearance mentioned, both being possibly due to the fact, stated 

 by the author, that he has rarely collected any of the species himself ; but they are 

 serious deficiencies for all who would desire to cnpture them. The authors who have 

 described species of PsylUdcB since the times of Foerster and Flor are only twice, 

 and then incidentally, referred to; it is, therefore, not at all improbable that some of 

 the species deemed to be new have been already described by them. — J. W. Douglas» 

 8, Beaufort Gardens, Lewisham : April 30fA, 1878. 



Notes on Cynipidce and Aphides. — I found, on the oth of Anril last, a very 

 common Cynipid, the Neuroterus lenticularis, laying its eggs in the bud of a young 

 oak in my garden. I could adjust a glass tube over the insect without disturbing it 

 in its operation, and saw how it repeated five times the act of inserting its terebra in 

 tlie bud. The following day it was dead, and I had it put in my collection. I des- 

 troyed all buds of the branch except the attacked one, and surrounded the branch 

 with a bag of muslin ; the leaves soon displayed themselves, and three of them showed 

 after about a fortnight the well known galls of another Cynipid, the Spathogaster 

 baccarum, viz., three on one leaf and one on each of the others. On the 5th of 

 May, the winged " Spathogaster " made its appearance. This fact is a new confir- 

 mation of Dr. Adler's discovery on the dimorphism of Cynipidce.* 



* Vide p. 12, anie. — Eds. 



