1S87.J 235 



Note on the oviposition and the duration of the egg-stage of Ephemerella 

 ignita. — A friend of mine (Mr. Ilawksley) has succeeded in liatcliing eggs of the 

 "Sherry Spinner" ( ? im.) or "Blue-winged Olive" ( ? subim.), as wo call Ephemerella 

 ignita. We took the eggs from an imago in July, and the first larva was hatched 

 last week in his fernery. 



The 9 imago of Ephemerella carries its eggs differently from all other European 

 May-flies. They issue part at a time, and take the form of a ball, adhering to the 

 under-side of the extremity of her abdomen, and kept steady by means of her setae, 

 which are turned down underneath the ball. She flies about with the eggs in this 

 position, while the mucus surrounding them hardens, dipping momentarily from 

 time to time in her flight, and alighting now and then upon the water, until the ball 

 becomes detached. This procedure is repeated until all of the eggs are discharged. 



I have lately stated in the angling columns of " The Field " that one occasion- 

 ally finds a subimago carrying the eggs, not in a ball but scattered, between the roots 

 of the wings, on its back ; and I have a single example of one not quite freed from 

 the nymph-skin, which has the eggs so disposed. — Feedeeic M. Halfoed, 35, 

 Inverness Terrace, Hyde Park, W. : January ^Oth, 1887. 



A hibernating Dragonfly. — Although the weather is very cold, I hunt — not 

 'Dr&goxi-flies, but a Di-agon-fly — Sympycna fusca. I took several specimens at the 

 end of December, and a friend took one well on in January. I have just seen it in 

 February. It is thus proved that in winters not exceptionally severe, S. fusca remains 

 concealed in the heather, and comes out during the slightest sunshine. — Eeme 

 Maetin, Le Blanc (Indre), France : February 10th, 1887. 



\^S. fusca (one of the Agrionina, allied to Lestes) is probably the only Dragon-fly 

 known to hibernate. There is no apparent reason why it should not be found in 

 this country, just as is the case with many others ; but I think it may be safely said 

 that it does not occur here. — R. McLacklan.] 



Periplaneta australasiee, F., at Belfast. — Early in 1886, Mr. Barrett sent me 

 for determination several examples of this pretty (for a Cockroach) species that had 

 been found, probably in a warehouse, at Belfast : it has already been noticed as 

 occurring in several Continental ports. It is common in Central America, the West 

 Indies, Brazil, &c. I am not aware that it is a common Australian insect, not- 

 withstanding its specific name. Fabricius (Ent. Syst., ii, p. 7) simply says " Capta 

 frequcns in nave e mari pacifico et regionibus Australasiae revertente," which, for a 

 Cockroach, means nothing. — E. McLachlan, Lewisham, London : Dec. 8th, 1886. 



Capture of Bradycellus collaris. — Within the last three years, I have taken a 



few specimens of Bradycellus collaris, Payk., on the Pentland Hills. Its habits are 



the same as those of B. similis, with which it is found in company ; but it cannot be 



said to occur commonly, as it is much scarcer, and more local in its distribution on 



the hills than similis, and requires hard work to find. The first year I found only 



two specimens; in 1885 I took ten at an elevation of about 1200 feet; and last year 



I found about two dozen at the much lower level of 700 or 800 feet.— R. F. LoQAN, 



Colinton, Midlothian : Februaru 8th, 1887. 



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