1873. 217 



Near Chatham, during the past summer, I met with the following, along with 

 many commoner species, in a " trap " formed by a wheel-rut full of water, by the 

 side of a wood path, viz. : — Homalota hepatica (1), Anisotoma dubia and badia, 

 Cyrtusa pauxilla, Amphicyllis globus, Orobitis cyaneus, Chrysomela varians, Psyl- 

 liodes dulcamara!, and Mniophlla mu.icorum. By casual sweeping, I have taken 

 MeUgethes timbrosus, Aphodius arenariiis, Dasytes oculatus (one <?), Ceutliorhynchus 

 coMearice, Miarus graminis, Phylaecia cylindrica, Pachyta collaris, Mordellistena 

 hrunnea, &c. Baridius picicornis was common, at roots of Meseda lutea, as usual ; 

 TrachyploRus sptiiimanus (not rare) and squaimdatus, and Syncalypta spinosa (com- 

 mon), at roots of SeUanthemum vulgare in chalky places; Eledona agaricola, 

 plentiful in fungus, and Mordella fasciata occurred freely on umbels of Daucus 

 carota, &c., one very hot day in July ; I also found a few under bark of a fallen and 

 very much decayed tree (apparently a chestnut) in company with Cerylon histeroides. 



At Swale, Kent, by cutting tufts, &c., I)inopsis erosus, Stenus ater, and 

 Throscus obtusus have occurred to me. — James J. Walkee, 7, West Street, Blue 

 Town, Sheerness : December 12th, 1872. 



Note on stvarms of Pruchus. — A ship came ashore here a few days since, laden 

 with beans, which the people said were uifested with "bugs:" so I went down 

 to see, and found Bruclms rufimanus in much larger quantities than I ever saw 

 beetles before. I was only there about a quarter of an hour, and I got over two 

 quarts of them ; they were running all over me, and when I got home and lighted 

 the gas, numbers of them took wing, making a bu^zzing noise like the house-fly, and 

 seeming to take a delight in settling on my head. — Kobeet Lawson, 28, Trafalgar 

 Square, Scarborough : November 25t7/,, 1872. 



Occurrence of Apatura Ilia in Plngland. — Mr. W. O. Hammond (of St. Alban's 

 Court, near Wingham, Sandwich) brought to the Museum for determination, quite 

 recently, a slight variety of Apatura Ilia, taken in the larval state by a young friend of 

 his : finding, however, tliat A. Ilia was not a recorded British species, Mr. Hammond 

 promised to make further enquiries, and send me precise data as to the time and place 

 of capture ; he accordingly writes (December Slst, 1872), as follows : — " I told you 

 " that I would let you know the particulars of the specimen of A. Ilia, which I 

 " brought for your inspection. It was caught in August, 1869, by Mr. Arthur 

 ' Tritton, the son of the Rector of Otford, in Kent, at Aldermaston, in Berkshire, in 

 " the larva state, upon the oak ; changed, remained a long time in pupa (how long is 

 " not stated) , and finally produced the imago which you saw. The larva is described 

 " as pale green with yellow spots ; appearance of the pupa, not remembered. If Ilia 

 " is a well-determined continental species, then here is a British occurrence. But is 

 " it not possible after all that Ilia may be simply a variety of Iris, oak-fed, while the 

 " type is sallow-fed — why is Iris always about the oak -tops ? I merely suggest this : 

 " no doubt there is conclusive evidence the other way." 



I think the suggestion thrown out by Mr. Hammond is worth following up ; it 

 has often struck me as a curious fact that examples of intermediate forms, apparently 

 hybrids, between A. Iris and A. Ilia, slioidd be so common ; it has not yet been con- 

 clusively proved that Lepidopterous insects are never affected by their food-plant. — 

 A. Gr. Butler, British Museum : Ist January, 1873. 



Vanessa Antiopa in January. — Many of your readers will be interested to hear 



