Q2. I September, 



by M. Obertliiir at quite the end of June, at St. Martin clt^ Canigou (Pyrenees 

 Orientales) in company with A. cocrajus. The last-named species, and A. longicornis, 

 are abundant near Vernet, but not together. Four species of true (restricted) 

 Ascalaphus are now known to inhabit France, viz. : — A. coccajus, longicornis^ 

 ictericus, and hispaniciis, and as A. boeticus is known from Catalonia, its discovery in 

 the Pyrenees Orientales may be looked upon as almost certain. — Id. 



Note on Phyllotreta melesna, III. — Phyllotreta melcena has been extremely de- 

 structive in tliis neighbourhood during the present year. I first noticed it towards 

 the end of March, when a few specimens were resting upon the leaves of autumn- 

 sown cabbages which had passed through the winter. To these it did little or no 

 damnge, as the plants were sufGciently large and strong to bid defiance to its attacks. 

 But a fortnight or so later, when the first spring sowing of cabbages began to appear 

 above the ground, the beetle increased greatly in numbers, and from that time until 

 the day upon which I write, I have seldom passed through the garden without 

 noticing it in abundance. 



The damage which it has caused has been very considerable ; throughout 

 almost the whole of the surrounding district the first-sown cabbages, brocoli, and 

 cauliflowers were more or less severely injured, and in some cases completely de- 

 stroyed. In our own garden, perhaps some twenty plants survived out of eight or 

 ten rows. Later on the seedling kale was attacked in a similar manner, the leaves 

 being riddled as though a heavy charge of small shot had been fired through them, 

 and successional sowings of other brassicas have also been greatly injured, although 

 in a less degree. At the present moment the beetle is as abundant as ever, even 

 upon hearting cabbages. 



With regard to Ph. nemorum, Curtis states that there may be five or six broods 

 in a season. P/». melcBna, to judge by my own observations, seems to follow no rule 

 upon the subject, but breeds continuously, without reference to regularity. I do 

 not think that I have once examined the infested plants without noticing a 

 number of pairs in copula ; and certainly the beetle has never disappeared from the 

 garden, even for a couple of days together. 



A professional gardener of some local celebrity tells me that the insect in question 

 is also destructive to broad beans. This, however, I cannot believe. I have had beans 

 and cabbages growing in alternate rows upon the same plot of ground, and a most 

 careful search, repeated upon more than one occasion, has resulted in the discoveiy 

 of two 'Specimens only upon the former ; and these, no doubt, were accidental visitors 

 only, which had sprung from their food-plant at the vibration of an approaching 

 footstep. And the leaves of the beans show no traces of the " riddling " which is 

 so conspicuous in the cabbages. I rather fancy that the gardener in question, un- 

 observant after the manner of his race, has confused the Phyllotreta with Sitoiyes 

 lineatus ; a strange mistake, perhaps, but one of far less magnitude than many 

 whicli are prevalent among the agricultural classes. 



It is perhaps scarcely necessary to say, that only the young plants are seriously 

 injured by the beetle ; these, however, are frequently destroyed while still in the 

 seed-leaf. At least one-third of the cabbages, kale, &c., sown in the garden this 

 year have thus been killed, and I have reason to believe that others in the neighbour- 

 hood have suffered more severely than myself. I do not think that Ph. melesna is 



