1883.] 189 



Mr. Dale then mentions that he has shown this letter to Mr. Haliday, and 

 spoken of it to Mr. Spence, but neither could make it out ; and, he adds : " Can any 

 of your correspondents suggest what insect this is ?" 



After giving extracts from Eay (page 273) and Mouffet (page 61), as probably 

 referring to the same insect, he makes a guess, and asks whether this fly might be a 

 Tahanus, Asilus, or, perhaps, less probably, CEstrus or Sericomyia. 



I think we are now in a position to say that Mr. Paris' piping fly was probably 

 Sericomyia horealis. Mr. Hellins, in answer to my enquiry, informs me that the 

 flies certainly never drove him away from the top of the Dartmoor tors ; but when 

 he was a boy their behaviour seemed to him to be rather threatening — he had not 

 observed this in subsequent visits. 



In conclusion, let me ask, can any one corroborate Mr. Swinton's suggestion, that 

 Sericomyia oviposits in decaying stumps ? — E. N. Bloojifield, Guestling Rectory : 

 December loth, 1882. 



Notes on British Hemiptera. — In the September number of this Magazine, page 

 87, I made some remarks on Olohiceps salicicola, Rent., and I there said that I 

 would send the examples which I had taken at Deal, and which I thought were 

 referable to that species, to Dr. Renter for confirmation. 



I have just received these back, and am able now to state, on Dr. Renter's 

 authority, that they are not salicicola, but only our ordinary species, which, he 

 informs me, frequently occurs on sallows ; he, at the same time, says that the speci- 

 men which he took in Scotland and recorded as salicicola, in vol. xvii, p. 13, of this 

 Magazine, is also only our ordinary species, so that salicicola. Rent., will have to be 

 expunged from our list. Dr. Reuter has very kindly sent me a $ and ? of this 

 species, which is apparently quite distinct from either of our four-spotted species, as 

 pointed out by him {loc. cit.). As the species occurs in Sweden, one may hope to be 

 able some day to re-admit it into our list. 



What I have here termed our ordinary species, i. e., that called by Messrs. 

 Douglas and Scott, in their monograph, fiavomaculatus, Fab., by myself, in my 

 synopsis, fulvipes, Scop., and by Dr. Reuter {loc. cit.), Jlavomaculatus, Vah., will now 

 have to stand under the name crticiatus, Rent., as Dr. Reuter says that he has ex- 

 amined the Fabrician types oi fiavomaculatus, and finds that they belong to selectus, 

 Doug, and Scott. 



The synonymy, therefore, of these species will stand thus : — -Jlavomaculatus, 

 Fab., Fall., F. Sahib., E. Saund. {nee Fieb., nee Doug, and Scott), = selectus, Fieb., 

 Doug, and Scott; cruciatus, Rent., = fiavomaculatus, Fieb., Doug, and Scott, Rent., 

 olim, ^fulvipes, E. Saund. {nee Scop.). — Edwakd Saundees, Holmesdale, Upper 

 Tooting : Sth December, 1882. 



Note on Aphalara sulpunctata, Forst. {A. pallida, Leth.). — M. Lethierry in- 

 forms me that he takes this species abiuidantly, in the perfect state, in June and 

 July, upon Epilobiiim an gvsti folium. As it has not been recorded as British, but 

 might possibly be found here, perhaps some careful observer would look out for it 

 during the coming season. I certainly saw no trace of it when at Boxhill searching 

 for A. nebulosa, Zett., but then, my observations did not extend into the latter 

 month. The life-history of this insect is also still buried in obscurity, and the dis- 



