each segment into a wide triangular mark ; by the posterior tibiae being much more 

 thickly and strongly ciliated on their outer sides in lugubris ; and lastly, by the 

 internal transverse vein being placed before the centre of the discoidal cell in lugubris, 

 instead of behind it as in dubia, and therefore some way before the termination of 

 the auxilliary vein. 



H. dubia bears considerable resemblance to H. serva, but may be easily distin- 

 guished by the arista being much longer-haired in the latter species, and by there 

 being four thoracic setse behind the suture in dubia and only three in serva. By the 

 light grey colour and distinct stripes of the thorax, dubia bears a considerable 

 resemblance to H. lata, but the latter has only three posterior thoracic dorsal 

 bristles as in serva, and pale coloured tibiae. 



(To be continued). 



ON THE SUPPOSED EFFECT OF THE WINTERS IN JAPAN ON THE 

 SMALLER COLJEOPTERA. 



BY GEORGE LEWIS. 



The cold weather commences here early in December and con- 

 tinues until the close of February, the whole of this period being 

 excessively dry, and this year no rain-fall has been registered since 

 the 26th ]N r oveinber, except a " trace of rain " on the 30th December. 



The following is extracted from the meteorological reports pub- 

 lished in the daily papers : 



1879—1880. 1878—1879. 



December... "271 inches of rain and snow. "088 



January ... nil. 1*325 



February ... 3-505 (1'487 last week). 3*973 (3*250 in last week). 



The winters in Japan vary little, and a two years' record suffices 

 to show the average amount of rain and snow, but the fall in the 

 other nine months of the year is variable and uncertain ; the annual 

 downpour being in one year 42 inches, and in another 122 inches. 

 An average of seven years, 1863 — 1869, gives 70 inches, two-thirds of 

 which fell in the six months of April to September. In winter the 

 wind is almost continuous and often boisterous, .and this adds to 

 the dryness, and as there is little dew, freezing is attended with the 

 least possible hoar frost. Where there are no trees, the hills and land 

 generally are covered with a small grass, with species of Arundinaria 

 and Bambusa, and these are all dry and yellow, and a stranger might 

 well conceive that the grass was dead and beyond recovery. Eidges 

 and banks are dry, and even the edges of ponds afford no swampy or 

 marshy places, and the only contrast to all this hay-coloured landscape 

 are the patches of AmaryllidcB which have thrown up dark leaves in 

 the more sheltered situations ; with herbage like this there is no 



