70 [March, 



THE SUPPOSED MAEINE HYBROPTILID. 



BY ROBERT McLACHLAN, F.R.S., &c. 



In the " British Naturalist" for December, 1894, Mr. G. Swain- 

 son, F.L.S., published an interesting account of a Hydroptilid larva, 

 evidently belonging to the genus Oxyethira, which he found living on 

 the surface of the open sea off the mouth of the Ribble. This 

 also appears with accounts of other aquatic larvae in pamphlet 

 form ("Some curious aquatic larvae," 1894), with some supplementary 

 notes not included in the original publication. Mr. Morton had 

 examined the specimen, and thought he detected differences between 

 the case and that of 0. costalis, Curt., but considers the presence of the 

 larva in the open sea was due to accident, and that it had been brought 

 down with fresh or possibly brackish water. I am quite of the same 

 opinion, and suggest that if other specimens be found at sea attempts 

 should be made to rear them in both fresh and marine aquaria (a note 

 somewhat to this effect is incorporated by Mr. Swainson in his col- 

 lected observations). A pelagic Hydroptilid would indeed be an 

 acquisition ! I call attention to the subject in these pages because it 

 is of far more than " British " interest, and to point out the medium 

 in which the original observations are published. Mr. Swainson's 

 paper is accompanied by figures, and I possess a photograph of the 

 case taken by Mr. A. B. Hoskings, of Lee, London. 



Lewisbam, London : 



February 2nd, 1895. 



EECENT EXPEEIMENTS ON THE MEANS 

 OF PEOTECTION POSSESSED BY ABRAXAS GROSSULARIATA, L. 



BY W. F. H. BLANDFORD, M.A., F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



The insect most often selected as a test of unpalatability indicated 

 by warning colours has been Abraxas grossulariata, on which experi- 

 ments are recorded by Jenner Weir (Trans. Ent. Soc, 18G9, p. 25 : 

 1870, p. 337) ; Butler (Trans. Ent. Soc., 1869, p. 28) ; Poulton (Proc. 

 Zool. Soc, 1887, p. 191 ; The Colours of Animals, pp. 168, 169, 174) ; 

 and Beddard (Animal Coloration, pp. 149, 153). 



It has again formed the subject of a series of observations and 

 experiments by Prof. Plateau, of Ghent, some account of whose paper 

 (Mem. Soc. Zool. Fr., 1894, pp. 375—392) will be of interest. 



He summarizes the conclusions of previous observers thus : — 



Abraxas grossulariata takes no measures for concealment in any 

 istage, and is aufEciently protected by the indications of unpalatability 



