162 THK EXTOJIOLOGIST's RECORD. 



as ISJO (Intrn. Moil. ( '(assi/icatimi Ins.), recorded having '• repeatedly 

 observed, on disturbing the nest of the common brown garden ant, a 

 very minute species of Phnni hovering over and Hying upon the ants.'" 

 This species has not been found or recognised by Continental dip- 

 terologists. (2) Phnra sp., found in a garden at Newmarket, running 

 about at the entrance (which looked like that of a mouse's hole) to the 

 nest of a species of JJoiiibiis. Specimens received from Dr. Sharp, 

 labelled " from Jio)nbus nest," are also of the same species. It is evident 

 that its life-history is in some way connected with that of the Bninhus, 

 but, because of the different shape and form of the female ovipositor, 

 it is probably not parasitic on the bee like P. form tea niiii is on the 

 ant, but acts as a scavenger, by living on the dead pup* in the nest. 



At the same meeting Dr. F. A. Dixeyexhibited a remarkable pale form 

 of Maiiii'ntra hraasicar, taken by Dr. G. B. Longstaff' and himself at 

 Mortehoe, North Devon, on July 16th, 1903. The specimen showed 

 the usual markings of the species on a cream-coloured ground, faintly 

 shot with pinkish or apricot. There was a slight smoky shade over 

 the central area of the forewing, the hindwings were yellowish-grey, 

 the thorax yellowish-brown, the abdomen apricot-coloured with a 

 dorsal chain of dark tufts. Sir George Hampson had examined it, and 

 pointed out that it was provided with the spur on the anterior tibia, 

 which is characteristic of .1/. hraxsirai' among the allied European 

 species. 



It is now a long time since Mr. J. Hartley Durrant published the 

 preliminary work on which a decent list of the lepidoptera of Hertford 

 could easily be constructed, and we understand that the Hertfordshire 

 Natural History Society is, under the guidance of Mr. A. E. Gibbs, 

 continuing the work begun so well and so long ago. There are 

 sufficient lepidopterists in the county for the compilation of a really 

 first-class list, and there are many county lists, those of Yorkshire (Por- 

 ritt), Northumberland and ])urham (Robson), Cheshire, etc. (Day). Lan- 

 cashire (Ellis), which might well serve as models on which it might be 

 based. We still await the list for Cumberland and Westmoreland that 

 the Carlisle Entomological Society was to have taken in hand, the War- 

 wickshire list from the Birmingham Entomological Society, the Gla- 

 morgan list from the Penarth Society, and many others. A natural 

 history society, a good working secretary, who has the confidence of the 

 entomologists of his county, an annotated list from each town in w^hicli is a 

 working lepidopterist. a good referee to deal with doubtful species, and ji 

 society that will finance an undertaking that need not, after all, be very 

 expensive, are all that is necessary to secure a really first-class county 

 list anywhere. There are times when we would give almost anything 

 for a good county list of the le])idoptera of Cornwall, Devon, Hants, 

 Berks, ^^'ol■cester, Lincoln, etc. There are surely enough county 

 societies to take the work in hand. Of course, most of the Victorian 

 county lists are practically w'orthless for entomological work. One 

 wonders what some of them have been printed for, since the details 

 that go to make such a list valuable are often entirely wanting. 



We should be exceedingly thankful for oval, larval and pupal 

 material relating to any of the British Hepialids, Zeuzerids, Cossids. 

 Nolids, Liparids or Notodonlids (as well as Plumes). Will any 

 gentleman rearing any species belonging to these superfamilies 

 please send us notes on (1) exact date of hatching of eggs, (2) 



