1885.] 211 



course deposit eggs in suitable places. Now, if the general character of the weather 

 were favourable during the following summer and autumn, descendants of the 

 immigrants would occur, in more or less abundance, in many localities where perhaps 

 the species had not been seen for very many years. I have put this forward as a 

 supposed case, but I am aware that touching the abnormal abundance of certain 

 species of Lepidoptera in certain years in Britain, many Entomologists are in favour 

 of the immigration solution of the problem. I cannot see in what other way we can 

 reasonably account for the erratic appearance of such species as I have mentioned, 

 and some others. — Eichaed South, 12, Abbey G-ardens, London, N.W. ; December 

 9th, 1884. 



Note on Oviposition in Agrion. — The following observation appears worthy of 

 being recorded. In several localities in Savoy, in July last, Agrion mercuriale (a 

 very local British species) was the commonest of the smaller Agrionidcs. The 

 weather was, and had been, intensely hot, and the breeding places of the Agrion, 

 consisting mainly of shallow road-side ditches and streams, were nearly dried up, 

 leaving only, here and there, patches of wet mud with scarcely any surface water. 

 I soon noticed that certain individual Agrions, when flying, were conspicuous on 

 account of the whitish colour of the whole, or a portion, of the abdomen. On ex- 

 amination these proved to be always females, and the whitish colour due to an 

 incrustation of dry mud ; in some it was only at the tip of the abdomen, in others 

 for its whole length (nearly an inch). The explanation was obvious. These females 

 had been engaged in oviposition, and some instinct had prompted them to sink 

 their eggs as deeply as possible in the mud, so as to afford some chance of 

 escape from the consequences of further evaporation. I am not aware that A. 

 mercuriale (or its near allies) has ever been noticed to descend entirely beneath the 

 surface of the water : in this case such a proceeding would have been impossible. — 

 E. McLachlan, Lewisham: December, 1884. 



Additional notes on Coleoptera in 1884. — In addition to several species already 

 recorded, I have met with a few Coleoptera during the past season which may be 

 deemed worthy of mention. 



At Dulwich my best 'captures have been Callicerus rigidicornis, Bolitochara 



ihella (commonly), Romalota nigricornis and hospita (from Co w«s burrows), Cori/- 



phium angusticolle, Epurcea melina (Cossvs), Megatoma undata, Cis micans and 



vestitus, and Balaninus tessellatus. From powdery fungus on decaying birch stumps 



il took, one aftei'noon, nearly 200 specimens of Lathridius testaceus. Phloeotrya 



^^ii Stephens! was also common in nearly every birch log which I examined, but in every 



njicase the insects were dead and decayed. As far as I could judge the beetles had 



inever left the logs, some unknown cause having brought about their death almost 



jjftimmediately upon assuming the perfect form. 



From West Wickham and the surrounding district I may record Bolitochara 

 ^lucida, Leptusa ruJicoUis (plentiful in Boleti), Tachinus elongatus, Homalium iopte- 

 rum, Frognatha quadricorne (plentiful, but all ? specimens), Scaphidium 4i-macula- 

 0um, Orfhoperus brtinnipes (Boleti, common), Epurcea longula (Cossus), Meligethes 

 ^^^ovatus, Cryptophagus badiiis, Megatoma, Cis hidentatus and nitidus, Ennearthron 

 Acorntitum (in profusion), Heledona agaricicola (50, from white fungus upon oak) 

 Jand Sibynes poteniillm. 



