214 [September, 



A note on the distribution of Bembidium saxatile, Cryll., var. vectensis, Fowler. — 

 Tho error that this variety is confined to the Isle of Wight has arisen since the 

 pnl )lication of Fowler's " British Coleoptera," and is perhaps worth correcting, 

 as it has appeared again recently. The variety is described and named by 

 Fowler, who says, " thei-o is a permanent variety found in the Isle of AVight 

 which I wotdd separate under the name of var. vectensis," and no other locality 

 is given for its occurrence. Dawson, however, many years before, in his " Geo- 

 dephaga Britannica," thongh he does not name the variety, describes it accii- 

 rately, and states that it is found " all along oiir sovithern coast." This is 

 doubtless correct, as it occurs commonly on the undercliff at Barton-on-Sea, 

 Hants, and Mr. G. C. Champion informs me that he has taken it in localities as 

 far apart on the south coast as Folkestone and Teignmouth. — C. F. Selous, 

 Barton-on-Sea, Hants. .- July, 1910. 



Agahus brimneus, F., in the New Forest in 1908. — I was fortiinate enough to 

 capture one specimen of tliis rarity beneath a stone at the edge of a stream in 

 the New Forest on Jvily 31st, 1908. Not realizing the importance of my capture, 

 and being without a net, I took no more specimens, though others were probably 

 present. Two visits to the same spot in June this year have been fruitless. 

 As the professional collector has no mercy on a rarity I do not mention the 

 exact locality. I have to thank Mr. W. E. Sharp for kindly identifying my 

 specimen.- — Id. 



Note on Melitxa cynthia, Hb. — On June 28th, 1910, and on other days near 

 thereto, when searching for Ira-vse of L. orbitulus, a good many full-grown or 

 nearly full-grown larva^ of M. cynthia were met with, as well as a few of 

 M. merope, one of B. pales, and a quite small M. didyma. Two of these 

 M. cynthia (all I kept) emerged August 6th, somewhat delayed by captivity, 

 if I may judge by its effect on L. orbitulns. They were kept all the time at 

 about or over 5000 feet, and if sheltered from the cold at night, were deprived 

 of the direct heat of the siin by day. On Jiily 12th a ? M. cynthia was 

 captured on the Furka (8000 feet). Again, on July 21st, several of both sexes 

 were taken, although the day was not very favovu-able, and again on July 28th 

 they were seen quite commonly, on both dates also on the Fm-ka. On July 21st 

 a few larvae of M. cynthia were observed, but on the 28th the number seen 

 ci'awling on the highway was remarkable, nearly a score were picked up and 

 thrown into the herbage on the roadside. All those seen on Jidy 28th were in 

 the penultimate instar, not one in the last. It seemed clear therefore that they 

 coivld not be part of a brood continuous with those that were, and had been for 

 more than a fortnight, on the wing. The want of intermediates was, of course, 

 the main point in arriving at this conclusion. At Binn full-gi-own larvae, when 

 present, were easily and frequently seen ; and w^ere therefore exceedingly scarce, 

 so far as evidence went, absent, on the Furka on July 2Sth. These half-grown 

 larvae were, I imagine, looking for a place to hibernate in, though they might, 

 of course, be looking for food, or perchance their wanderings might be the 

 result of the scattering instinct that probably affects these, like other gregarious 

 larvae, Avhen they reach a certain stage. 



