1SS1.] S l J 



I am quite ignorant of the habits of the larva of Gyrinus, but it seems strange 

 to find it preyed upon to such an extent, and by such a variety of parasites : perhaps 

 some Coleopterist may be able to suggest the stage at which the latter may be 

 supposed to find the greatest facilities for depositing their eggs ; I can hardly fancy 

 the Hymenoptera going under water for that purpose. — J. Hellins, Exeter ; 

 August, 1881. 



Rare Diptera in the Neio Forest. — I have been spending a week in the New 

 Forest, and have taken, on July 1st, a female of Ctenophora ornata, Meig., one of 

 the rarest of our Dipterous insects ; the only other specimen that has been found in 

 Britain was a male taken by my father (in company with the Eev. W. Kirby), like- 

 wise in the New Forest, on the 7th July, 1821. There is an admirable figure of it 

 in Curtis's "British Entomology." I also took a specimen of another rare fly, viz., 

 Henops gibbosus. — C. W. Dale, Grlanvilles Wootton : 9th July, 1881. 



Sartena (Hagen, 1864) = Neurorthus (Costa, 1863). — The following remarks 

 elucidate a point of synonymy concerning two genera (and species) of European 

 Hemerobiidce hitherto considered distinct. 



In 1863 was published vol. i of the " Atti dell' Accademia di scienze fisiche e 

 matematiche," of Naples, in which the second memoir is one by Prof. A Costa, in- 

 tituled " Nuovi studii sulla entomologia della Calabria ulteriore." Amongst the 

 insects described and figured is a new genus of Hemerobiidce termed Neurorthus 

 (N. iridipennis, Costa), p. 32, pi. iii, fig. 7. (This was foreshadowed, without name, 

 in the "Kendiconti" of the same academy, vol. i, p. 125, 1862). In the same 

 author's " Fauna del Kegno di Napoli, Neurotteri, Aggiunte," p. 3, pi. xiii, fig. 4 

 (not fig. 3, as erroneonsly indicated in the text), 1871, the description and figure are 

 reproduced. 



In 1864 Dr. Hagen published in the " Annales Soc. Ent. de France," 4™e serie, 

 vol. iv, a paper, intituled " Nevropteres (non Odonates) de la Corse," in which, at 

 p. 41, the genus Sartena (S. amcena, Hagen) is characterized. It should be remarked 

 that Neurorthus was omitted (and apparently overlooked) by Dr. Hagen in his 

 " Hemerobidarum Synopsis Synonymica," 1866, although other genera and species 

 noticed by Costa in his original memoir were included. 



During a recent visit to Belgium I saw the types of S. amcena in the collection 

 of my friend Baron de Selys-Longchamps, who generously presented me with one 

 of them. These leave no doubt that Neurorthus is synonymous with Sartena (over 

 which it has priority of one year), and in my mind there is also no doubt that S. 

 amcena is identical with N. iridipennis. 



But Costa, in a foot-note appended to his description of N. iridipennis, draws 

 attention to Mucropalpus fallax, Eambur, Nevropteres, p. 422, 1842, from Sardinia 

 {Mucropalpus, Bbr., = Hemerobi'us, Auct.) — indicated by the author as an aberrant 

 species (and of which I think the type no longer exists) — as closely allied to, if 

 distinct from, N. iridipennis. According to the description, I am much inclined to 

 consider it identical with N. iridipennis and S. amcena, and if this be proved, the 

 insect will take the specific n&mefallax. If N. iridipennis (S. amcena) be proved 

 to exist in Sardinia, I think there can remain no doubt on the point. — E. McLachlan, 

 Lewisham : 15th August, 1881. 



