]^(jy ■ [December, 18S:i. 



Philonthns astutus, i"?*.— A short time ago, M. Fauvel kindly sent me a specimen 

 of tins insect, which he had found in the collection of M. Javet, ticketed " Ireland." 

 As M. Javet collected for some time in Ireland, especially in the neighbourhood of 

 Belfast, and as the insect is by no means an unlikely one to occur in the locality, 

 M. Fauvel thinks that the specimen is probably British. M. Javet may possibly 

 have made a mistake, and more evidence will, perhaps, be required before it is in- 

 serted in the British list, but the fact is worth recording, as Irish collectors may 

 possibly confirm the capture. 



P. astutus belongs to the group with six punctures on the thorax : it is placed 

 by Erichson close to P. aterrimus (P. nigritulus and trossulus) ; it has, however, a 

 very different facies, being more than twice as large, with longer and less strongly 

 punctured elytra ; my specimen is about the size of P. lepidus, and has castaneous 

 elytra ; it is very distinct from any other British species. — W. W. Fowleb, 

 Lincoln : November ^th, 1883. 



DigJossa suhmarina, Fairm. (sinuatocolUs, Rey). — Since writing the note on 

 Philonthus astutus, I have again heard from M. Fauvel, who says tliat, on looking 

 over M. Javet's species of Diglossa, he has found among them several specimens 

 from Ireland, which were sent to M. Javet by Mr. Haliday ; among these there is 

 a specimen of Diglossa suhmarina, Fairm., an insect not hitherto recorded as British ; 

 the species is distinguished from J), mersa, by its broader elytra, and especially by 

 having the abdomen dilated behind ("en massue"), with close and fine punctuation, 

 the abdomen of D. mersa being parallel, with strong diffuse punctuation ; the thorax 

 of D. submariiia is also always more constricted at the base than in D. mersa ; the 

 two species appear to inhabit almost the same localities, and M. Fauvel says that he 

 has no doubt that it is distributed over all the coasts of Great Britain, and that it 

 will be found in British collections mixed with D. mersa. — Id. : Nov. 11th, 1883. 



Note on the development of Phryganea striata. — On several occasions at some 

 deep ponds in this neighboui-hood I have had the good fortune to witness the de- 

 velopment of numbers of Phryganea striata. The pupffi appear to leave their 

 cases and rise to the surface usually near the middle of the ponds. The insects are 

 seen first as dark specks on the top of the water ; gradually they rise higher and 

 higher until almost wholly out of it, then somewhat abruptly they free themselves 

 from the pupa-skin, and run with astounding rapidity to the side. Before leaving 

 the water, however, a curious operation is performed : the insect rests a little while, 

 and then slowly raises its wings until they meet in a vertical position over the back, 

 not unlike that assumed by the wings of a butterfly in repose. This appears occa- 

 sionally to be done twice ; the insect then finally leaves the water and conceals 

 itself in the herbage on the banks. To me it seems a curious fact that the wings of 

 an insect should be raised immediately after emergence to a position they never 

 again assume. — K. J. Morton, Carluke : November \2th, 1883. 



[The position assumed is probably connected with the rush of air and blood 

 into the tracheae and vessels. Much the same position is assumed by recently- 

 emerged moths when "drying themselves." — R. McL.]. 



