19T5.] 251 



edged with black ; tho apex is acuminate, the cerci moderately long. Wings hyaline, 

 the nerviives, eosta and stigma black. The marginal ncrvurc is placed at some dis- 

 tance in front of the 3rd sub-marginal one. The feet are sordid testaceous ; the 

 femora black, except at the apices and at the bases of the posterior pair ; the knees 

 have a yellowish hue ; tho posterior tibia) arc darker than the four anterior ; the 

 posterior tarsi fuscous. 



The above description serves equally well for the (J, mutatis mu- 

 tandis. The anteunaj are not longer than the body. 



S.femoraJis comes nearest to S. mixfus, KL, from which it is easily 

 recognized by the marginal nervure (in the ^ ) not being joined to the 

 3rd sub-marginal one ; the black colour of the femora and mouth, and 

 the broader red band of the abdomen, which has also its apex much 

 more acute. 



Both sexes were taken on the Q-leniffer Braes, near Paisley, three 

 years ago in June. 



The British Species of Dineuea. 

 So far as I can make out, Stephens describes only four species of 

 Dineura (exclusive of hemichroa) in his " Illustrations," namely : De- 

 geeri, verna, parvula, Sindfuscula ; but evidently he had not the true 

 exponent of the last species, as will appear fx'om the reasons given 

 below. The following are the species known to me as natives of 

 Britain ; and probably, in course of time, others will be added when 

 the country has been better explored. 



Dineura Degeeri, Kl., = Nematus varius, Lep. — This is the com- 

 monest species, and is found in most places in early summer among 

 birch ; the larva is got on the same plant in the autumn. Thomson 

 places this and the next three species in the genus Nematus. All the 

 species are subject to great variation in the neuration of the wings. 



D. stilata, Kl. — Apparently a not uncommon species. Here the 

 larva feeds on Pgrus aucuparia ; and at Worcester Mr. J. E. Fletcher 

 finds it on P. torminalis. A common variety occurs with only one 

 marginal cell in the anterior wings. 



D. testaceipes, Kl. — This species has been taken by Mr. James Hardy 

 in Berwickshire, Dr. Sharp at Dairy, ami myself in Inverness-shire. The 

 commonest form met with in this country (and it is also that which 

 Thomson describes) has the abdomen nearly all testaceous beneath. 

 It is, I am almost certain, identical with D. ventral is, Zaddach (Bes- 

 chreibung neuer oder wcuig bekannter Blattwespeu, p. 10, fig. 3). 

 The alar neuration in most of my specimens does not quite agree with 

 Zaddach's figure, but in one example it does ; and at tho best very 



