22 [June, 



terrealis was also abundant at the same spot. Aciptilia tetradactyla, Zermatt ; A. 

 pentadactyla, Sierre. — Eobeet C. R. Jordan, 105, Harborne Eoad, Edgbaston, 

 Birmingham : May 3rd, 1879. 



The Cuclcoo feeding on Dragon-flies. — Among the large number of previously 

 unpublished leltei's in Prof. Bell's edition of White's Selborne is one to his nephew 

 Samuel Barker (see vol. ii, p. 113), that has especially interested me. It is dated 

 September 6th, 1775, and refers to the habits and anatomy of the Cuckoo. The 

 miscellaneous contents of the stomach of one of these birds included " small Scara- 

 hcei, Ptini, JElatri, Aranece, Ziibellulce, &c.," and Grilbert White adds : — " the last of 

 which I have seen cuckows catching on the wing over Oakhanger Pond more than 

 once." This statement was so novel to me that had it come from almost any other 

 som-ce I would scarcely have credited it. Dragon-flies suffer very little from the at- 

 tacks of birds, and I did not suspect the Cuckoo as being among their few enemies. 

 I called Prof. Newton's attention to the statement, and he very kindly informs me 

 that the only confirmation of it that he remembers is in Bechstein's German work, 

 " Gemeinniitzige Naturgeschichte Deutschlauds," ed. ii, vol. ii, p. 1128 (1805). 

 Nothing is there said of the way in which they are captured, but Prof. Newton says 

 that if caught at all they must be taken on the wing, as Cuckoos are clumsy in the 

 use of their feet. 



Perhaps some ornithological reader of this Magazine may be able to furnish 

 further confirmatory information. — R. McLachlan, Lewisham: 25tk March, 1879. 



Occurrence of Colletes cunicularia near Southport. — On the 2nd inst., I met 

 with a large colony of this bee on the sand hills to the north-cast of Southport, that 

 is, between Southport and Chui'chtown. The males were plentiful as well as the 

 females, and may have appeared a fortnight ago, as I learn has been the case with 

 the colony on the Cheshire sand hills. At this latter locality several new colonies 

 are now developed. — Benjamin Cooke, Windsor Road, Southport : Qth May, 1879. 



Synonymic notes on some Hemiptera. — Dr. Puton has had the goodness to send 

 me the " Bulletin des Seances de la Societe' entomologique de France," No. 6, 1879, 

 containing a note communicated by him to the Society on some synonymic criticisms 

 of mine published in this Magazine (vol. xv, p. 235), on which subject I have now to 

 add some further remarks. 



1. IscHNORHYNCHUS resedcB is accepted by Dr. Puton in place of Kleidocerys 

 didymus. 



2. HETEEoaASTER. — Dejcau's genus not having been characterized, the name 

 was of no value, and I agree with Dr. Puton that Fieber should not have superseded 

 it in favour of his Phygadicus, which must be suppressed. 



3. Sttgntjs. — While admitting that a generic name should not be employed 

 twice in the same order, nor even among Insects generally. Dr. Puton maintains that 

 Stygnus, Fieb., need not be superseded, because the prior use of the name was not in 

 Insecta but in Arachnida, "which are not insects." It would follow, therefore, from 

 this principle not only that any of the other generic names in Arachnida but also in 

 the other divisions of the animal kingdom might be used in Insecta, and vice versa ; 

 and, further, that the same name might be used in every division. Fieber has shown 

 elsewhere that he did not so understand the rule, and I do not think zoologists will agree 



