184 [January, 



of obsoletus belongs to the species indicated by Kolbe under this 

 name, or to Burmeisteri. I am not quite satisfied. Perlatus is the 

 most distinct-looking o£ the three. These species frequent Finns, 

 Taxus, and Juniperus, especially the latter ; they should be collected 

 in numbers, and be carefully labelled with regard to locality, &c. Herr 

 Kolbe is an enthusiastic young student of Psocidce, and has done re- 

 markably good work, but some of his deductions will prove ill-based 

 in consequence of too minute subdivision. 



Elipsocus ui^^ipunctatits, Miiller. 

 British Entomologists should examine their specimens of this in- 

 sect. Kolbe has separated it from Elipsocus under the generic term 

 Mesopsocns, on certain small characters, the chief of which is that the 

 "forked vein" is sessile at the base of the fork. But Elipsocus as 

 defined by him is headed by a species he terms E. laticeps, excessively 

 close to M. unipunctafus, and differing chiefly in the "forked vein " 

 being shortly petiolate at its base. Since Kolbe' s monograph appeared 

 in 18S0 I have diligently collected unipunctatus, hoping to discover 

 laticeps amongst them, but have not succeeded in so doing, although 

 I note considerable variation in the neuration, the smallest exaggera- 

 tion of which, in some examples, would produce laticeps (as defined 

 by neui'ation only). The fact that the latter apparently does not 

 occur in Britain is in favour of its distinctness ; even if it prove to 

 be distinct, there w^as small necessity for the genus Mesopsocus. 



Clothilla annulata, Hagen. 



This little "book-louse " was described by Hagen in the Eut. Mo, 

 Mag., vol. ii, p. 122 (1865), from specimens found in boxes of 

 " European insects." It has since been found in several parts of 

 Europe, and has been recorded from England in several continental 

 publications, on my authority. But I do not think it has ever been 

 formally noticed as British in a British publication. Seven or eight 

 years ago I noticed three or four examples amongst the mass of small 

 boxes, &c., &c., that adorns (?) the mantelshelf in my study here at 

 Lewisham, but have not observed it since ; and of its actual origin I 

 know nothing. It is just one of those insects to which no native 

 country can be assigned. Hagen has seen it in North America, and 

 figures it in the Stettiner ent. Zeitung, 1882, pi. ii, fig. 7. 



N.B. — Kolbe considers Clothilla, Westwood, only a synonym of 

 Atropos,, Leach, whereas, according to him, Atropos of authors of the 

 present day should take the name Troctes, Burmeister. Leach's 



