JjQ^i [December, 



and thus differs very much from the interstices on the disc, which are smooth and 

 polished. I hare carefully compared specimens with a view to verifying this char- 

 acter, and find that although the apical region is certainly more punctured in 

 fimetarius than in fcetens, yet this may be applied to the whole of the disc as well, 

 as may be seen by examining them under a strong power ; the difference, however, 

 is very slight, but is much more apparent in some specimens than in others ; as far 

 as my experience goes, A. fcetens is a larger, stouter, and broader insect than A. 

 fimetarius, usually darker coloured, and more shiny, but in neither of them, as a 

 rule, is there a very noticeable difference between the apex and disc of the elytra, 

 although, perhaps, there is enough to be a help in doubtful cases ; had the distinc- 

 tion been a very obvious one, it would hardly have been so long passed over 

 unnoticed. 



Anthicus antherinus, L., and Icevieeps, Baudi. We do not possess the latter of 

 these insects, as far as is yet known, but they are found in France, in the same 

 localities, and, perhaps, some British collector may verify the latter among his series 

 of antherinus, by the following descriptions given by M. des Grozis : — 



Head and thorax thickly, finely, and almost rugosely punctured ; apical black 

 patches on elytra not covering the suture, but always leaving a ferruginous 

 band between ; anterior trochanters of male armed with a little sharp spine, at 

 any rate in mature examples, occasionally simple. L. 3 — 3| mm.... 



A. antherinus, L. 



Head and thorax moderately, thickly and plainly punctured, the punctures separated 

 by small, shining intervals ; apical black patches on elytra covering suture, 

 without leaving a band between ; anterior trochanters of male armed with a 

 long fine spine. L. 3^ — 3 J mm A. Icsviceps, Baudi. 



W. W. FowLEB, Lincoln : October 14th, 1885. 



Is the Genus Megalodontes {or Tarpa) really British ? — With regard to Mr. 

 E. Saunders' query respecting M. plagiocephalus in your last No. (p. 140), I find, 

 upon referring to the yet unpublished MS. of my monograph, the following observa- 

 tion : — " It will be observed that the evidence of the existence of Megalodontes 

 as a British genus rests nearly entirely on the authority of Leach and Stephens. I 

 can see no d priori reasons why the genus may not be expected to be native in 

 Britain, yet bearing in mind the fact that some of the species recorded as British on 

 the same authority have been proved to be erroneously recorded, and that no species 

 of the genus has apparently been captured since Leach's time, I cannot help feeling 

 very doubtful as to its being really native in this country." I intended to have 

 inserted this note in my Synopsis, but forgot to do so. — P. Cameeon, 20, Beech 

 Eoad, Sale, Cheshire : November 5th, 1885. 



[I fully share Mr. Cameron's suspicions as to the native origin of the genus, 

 especially as it is composed of large striking saw-flies, with a most peculiar form and 

 appearance. On the other hand we have the recent re-discovery of Brepanopteryx 

 phalcenoides fresh in our minds, and scarcely any entomologist would allow such an 

 extraordinary insect as this to be passed by, unless absolutely deceived by its great 

 resemblance to a dead leaf, combined with its habit of 'shamming dead.' — R. McL.] 



