1880. 117 



Otiorrhynchus Ugustici, Sfc, in the Isle of Man. — The following species of 

 Coleoptera, found by myself near Ramsey during the last week of August this year, 

 have not, so far as I can gather, been previously recorded from the Isle of Man : 

 Blethisa multipunctata, Amara patricia, Philonthus fucicola, Otiorrhynchus Ugustici. 

 Dianous was plentiful in waterfalls, but I looked in vain for Stenus Guynemeri and 

 Quedius auricomus. In fact, beetles of every kind were extremely scarce. — W. G-. 

 Blatch, Green Lane, Smallheath, Birmingham : September 20th, 1880. 



Prosopistoma punctifrons. — My colleagues, MM. Joly and Vayssiere, in an- 

 nouncing, with justifiable pride, the discovery of the perfect insect of Prosopistoma 

 (in the Comptes Rendus of the French Academy, and elsewhere), attribute to me 

 the former possession of an opinion that the insect might be an Ephemerid suited 

 for a continuous aquatic life. I am not sensible of having published such an 

 opinion, nor of having held it. In my remarks on Oniscigaster WaJcefieldi, in the 

 Journal of the Linnean Society of London, vol. xii (Zoology), p. 145, foot-note 

 (1873), I asked, " Can there be apterous Ephemeridce ? and can the imago of Proso- 

 "pistoma be in that condition ? " It did not occur to me that these words could be 

 so translated as to bear the interpretation put upon them by MM. Joly and Yayssiere. 

 In congratulating my colleagues on their discovery, it is necessary to say that I make 

 this explanation solely because certain of my correspondents ask me where I have 

 published the opinion attributed to me. — R. McLachlan, Lewisham, London : 9th 

 September, 1880. 



SOTTYENIES ENTOMOLOGIQUES : ETUDES SUE L'iNSTTNCT ET LES MCETJES DES 



Insectes : par J. H. Eabee : Paris, 1879. 324 pp., 8vo. 



In this volume the author gives the results of his own assiduous observation, 

 during many years, of the instincts and habits of many European Hymenoptera and 

 of ScarabcBUs sacer. An account of the Mason-bee is prefaced by an excellent story 

 of the way in which Natural Philosophy was once taught in a certain College ; there 

 is also a chapter on " La chasse aux Dipteres;" and another chapter is devoted to 

 a dramatic recital of the perilous incidents of an ascent of Mont Ventoux in 

 Provence, for natural history exploration — an adventure that narrowly escaped 

 having a tragic termination. All these studies, as the author terms them, are full 

 of novelty and are extremely interesting to the entomologist and physiologist, 

 whether or not we follow the reasoning or admit the conclusions. The charm of the 

 writing is irresistible : we give an extract on another page, but to be fully appreciated, 

 the narratives should be read in the original, for much of the esprit evaporates in 

 translation. The work is heartily to be commended to the attention of those who 

 love entomology pure and simple. 



Four species are described as new — Cerceris Antonice, Cerceris Julii, JBembex 

 Julii, and Ammophila Julii : — the first dedicated to his daughter, the other three, in 

 a few pathetic words, to the memory of his deceased young son, in whom a promising 

 love of flowers and insects was early developed. 



