G8 [AuiJiist. 



■wliifli I had put several of the leaves of the tree, and within two days thereafter I 

 was delighted to find that some of them had already attained the perfect state. On 

 their first entrance into this state both males and females are entirely green, but 

 within a few hours afterwards the head and thorax begin to assume a reddish tinge, 

 and the short dark streak on the dorsal margin of the elytra, adjoining the apex of 

 the clavus, becomes more conspicuous. Several times afterwards I observed a male 

 and female sitting with their heads towards each other, and at such a distance that 

 the apices of the antennae just touched ; these they moved slowly up and down, but 

 whether this motion meant anything I had not an opportunity of determining. On 

 what part of the leaf the eggs are deposited, and what peculiarity the leaf assumes, 

 I am still ignorant ; these are matters for future investigation. Now for a brief 

 description of the nymph. 



The entire creature pale lively green, except the cases containing the elytra, 

 which are pale buff coloured. Head angulate in front, and with a stout central 

 longitudinal keel. JSi/es dark reddish-brown. Antentiw pale, the joints indistinctly 

 dark at the apex, except the two terminal ones which are black. Thorax pale lively 

 green. JiJIi/tra-cases pale buff, with the rudiments of the neuration visible upon 

 them. Le(/s pale green. Abdomen pale lively green, somewhat oval, flattish-convex, 

 round the apex some eight or nine short, stout, dark brown hairs. Length, nearly 

 one-eighth of an inch. — John Scott, 1, St. Mildred's Terrace, Lee : 8th Jult), 1878. 



The Natural History of Psylla siiccincta. — In the " Sitzungsberichte der k. 

 Akademie der Wissenschaften : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classc," xviii 

 Band, 18o5, Dr. Ernst Heeger described, as new, Psylla succincta, and as (except in 

 Dr. Puton's " Catalogue des Hemipteres," where it is enumerated among the species 

 marked " ? ") I am not aware that it has since been noticed, I have thought it 

 desirable again to mention it, and to this end transcribe its natural history. The 

 food-plant has long been naturalized in Britain, and it is not improbable that the in- 

 sect, which seems capable of withstanding considerable hardship, may have been 

 introduced with the rue and be also naturalized with us. At any rate, the account is 

 interesting. 



"I found this pretty diminutive creature several times on Ruta graveolens, and, 

 withoiit imagining that it was undcscribed and only little known, I endeavoured, 

 during the past year, to observe it both in the garden and in the house, and for 

 this purpose I brought several paii-s into my room, where they multiplied so much 

 that at the end of the autumn the plant which I had given them to feed on was 

 reduced to a ruinous condition. I left plant and insects in the window of the un- 

 heated room for observation after winter was over, and in April following I placed a 

 fresh plant close by, which in a few days was stocked with both larvse and perfect 

 insects of the Psylla. 



" The newly developed insects couple in the day-time, and in warm weather re- 

 main together for several hours ; they always live for several days afterwards, but the 

 males die before the females. The fecundated female, in 4 or 5 days, lays her eggs in 

 the day-time, singly, and by preference on the edges of the leaves, and when these 

 are all occupied, then on the leaf-stalk and green twigs. 



"After from 8 to 14 days the wingless larvae appear; and, sucking a leaf-stalk 

 or young twig, remain stationary up to the time of their first moult, which occurs in 

 from 9 to 12 days, after which they leave their place, having already obtained rudi- 



