40 fJuiy- 



Note on Phlceophagus spadix, Serbst. — This beetle has already been recorded in 

 this Magazine (Vol. viii, p. 85) as occurring somewhat commonly in old piles on the 

 beach at Harwich, so that on my arrival here in the " Hawk " on May 30th, I fully 

 expected to meet with it, though I must say that I was not prepared to find it in 

 such numbers that it may even be regarded as a somewhat destructive insect. 



The Lower Esplanade immediately to the south of Dovercourt Spa is surrounded 

 by a bank of earth planted with tamarisk and other bushes, and faced, at the bottom, 

 with a skirting of fir planks to the height of about two feet. These planks, on their 

 outer sui'face, present no appeai'ance of being eaten or bored ; but where one of them 

 happens to be detached, so that the back can be seen, it is found to be reduced, in 

 some cases, to less than half its original thickness by the ravages of Pliloeophagus 

 spadix : the perfect beetle, and its fat white larva, may be picked out in numbers 

 from the damp, rotten, wood-mould, in company with a white Heteromerous larva, 

 presumably that of Isclmomera melanura. The beetle may also be seen crawling 

 lazily over the surface of the planks, being perhaps more numerous towards evening ; 

 it is a very sluggish, inactive creature. 



Further along the beach, it is diiEcult to find a pile of any age which does not 

 exhibit, in its fretted and drilled appearance, the ravages of the Phlmophagus, which 

 appears not at all particular as to what sort of wood it attacks, as long as it is ex- 

 posed to at least an occasional dash of salt water ; indeed, I do not think I have 

 met with a specimen more than twenty yards from high water mark. Stray examples 

 occur in holes in the sand, on the beach. 



Should any Coleopterist be in want of Phloeophagus spadix, I shall be happy to 

 forward him a few imset specimens, if he will address to me as follows : H. M. S. 

 " Hawk," 1, New Street, Spring Gardens, S.W.— James J. Walker, R.N., H. M. S. 

 " Hawk," Harwich : \Uh June, 1879. 



Notes OH Italian Butterflies. — I extract the following observations, made by my- 

 self, on the Ehopalocerous fauna of Italy, from ray last year's journal. P. Podalirius, 

 Tui'in, vii — viii ! ! ! P. Machaon, Isola di Capri, vii ! ! Wings more ample than my 

 English examples ; an English pupa I once took with me to Toulouse and back pro- 

 duced this form. I saw at Turin an autumnal specimen of Machaon with a deep 

 yellow tint. A. cratagi, Castellammare, v ! ! ! ; Foggia, v ! ! ! ; Venice, v, worn speci- 

 mens in the streets ; Turin. Wings ampler and fore-wings moi'e rounded than my 

 Hampshire examples {$ alar exp. 2" lU'", ? 3"), with the basal portion of the veins 

 often unblackened. P. rapcB, Turin. P. Daplidice, Turin, vii — viii ! ! ! A. carda- 

 mines, Isola di Capri, v ! ! ! A. sinapis, Turin, vi — vii ! ! The markings more or less 

 obsolete, rendering the specimens nearly pure white in some cases. C. Palano, Turin, 

 vi — vii ! C. Edusa, Isola di Capri, v ! ! ; Turin ! ! Wings ampler than my English 

 examples ; but specimens smaller than some I liave obtained from Luchon, in the 

 Pyrenees, which attain S alar exp. 2" 6'", ? 2" 8'". G. rAa;«»», Turin. M. didi/ma, 

 Turin, vii — viii ! ! What appears a var. of the ? ; has the straw colour on the inferior 

 surface of hind-wings replaced by white. M. Athalia, Turin. Central fulvous band 

 on fore-wings broader than in xn^ English examples. A. I>ia, Turin. A. Lathonia, 

 Turin, vii ! A. Paphia, Turin, vii— viii ! O. C-album, Turin, vii ! ! ! V. polychJoros, 

 Turin, vii. F. ^«i/o^a, Turin, vii — viii!!; Castellamarre ? P. ..J/«?a«i«, Castellam- 

 mare. P. cardui, Baja ! ! ! ; Isola di Capri ! ! ! ; Castollamare ! ! ! ; Turin ! ! L. 



