885.] 03 



: species first recorded as British by E. W. Janson (Ent. Ann., 1862, p. 116), who 

 found it under the bark of a dead apple-tree, near Highgate ; and it is still scarce 

 "with us, probably not really rare, only it is not every beetle-hunter that gets access 

 to a dead apple-tree in June. The species is common in Grermany in plum-trees- 

 In some of the cells the original beetle-tenant lay dead, others were empty, and one 

 was occupied by a living sub-tenant, which, on being turned out of possession, was 

 proved by its known predilections to have been boarded and lodged, if not at the 

 expense of the founder of the dwelling, yet to have appropriated the residence of 

 another : it was identified as Chrysis cyanea, Linn., certified to be a parasite of 

 Chelostoma florlsomne and other bees, also of Trypoxylon Jigulus. Two other asciii 

 were detected in the act of prying suspiciously into the neighbouring cells, and 

 having been apprehended and brought up for judgment, have been recognised as 

 Trypoxylon Jiffuhts, Linn., and Crahro dimidiatus, Fab., old offenders in carnivorous 

 rapine, and they have been condemned to death and executed accordingly. T.Jigidus 

 stores up spiders for its young ; in the present case this had been done in Scolytus- 

 cells, and by the action of Nemesis, it would in its turn be the prey of Chrysis. 

 Crahro, I presume, was seeking what he might devour. On the 3rd inst., I dug out 

 of closed Scolytus-ceWn another example of the Chrysis, two of Trypoxylon Jigulus, 

 two of T. clavicerum, and one of Prosopis communis, all immersed, and only now for 

 the first time at liberty. F. Smith states (Trans. Ent. Soc, N. S., iv, proceed., p. 77) 

 that Trypoxylon adopts the burrows of other insects, or other ready-formed 

 receptacles suitable to its purpose, that is, storing up spiders as nutriment for its 

 young. The Prosopis usually burrows in bramble-stems, but in this abnormal case 

 probably a ready-made excavation was adopted and adapted by the parent. On the 

 6th inst., I cut out of its cell another Trypoxylon clavicerum, and I saw several 

 others of the species, and one of T. jigulus going in and out of the vacated holes : 

 one Chrysis cyanea was also similarly engaged. I could, however, find no more 

 Scolytus pruni ; and although I expected to get S. rugulosus in its usual habitat in 

 the branches of the tree, I was disappointed.— J. W. Douglas, 8, Beaufort Gardens, 

 Lewisham : July ^th, 1885. 



DescrijJtion of the larva of Hadena satnra. — Head, face and true legs corneous, 

 brown ; spiracle line dull yellow-green, as well as all the parts beneath it, the line 

 itself very dimly marked below by being slightly yellower than the rest ; back and 

 sides pink, rather darker at the centre of the back, growing almost into a brown- 

 pink along the centre of the dorsal region ; this pink portion of the body is indis- 

 tinctly dusted with brown, the last segment with the anal prolegs is faintly green, 

 and the last spiracle is blackish ; the dorsal line is faintly indicated by a row of 

 very indistinct spots, one at the commencement of each segment of a dusky pink, 

 and the sub-dorsal by a row of sloping lines, from above backwards and downwards, 

 80 that in a strong light there is a faint lozenge-shaped pattern along the back. The 

 shape is very clumsy and cyUndrical, with very little difference from the head to the 

 tail, except at the last segment. 



Having had eggs of this species sent me from Germany, I have penned the 

 above description from a full-fed larva ; one of my forwardest larvse has to-dar 



