68 [August, 
Has Mr. Birchall any doubts about the correctness of Mr. King's statement ? 
and if so, where does he suppose Mr. King's specimens were taken? — Henry 
DouBLEDAY, Epping, July 14th, 1866. 
Note on Notonecta maculata and other water-Hemiptera. — In the last number of 
"The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," my friend Mr. Douglas records the 
capture, in clay pits at Lee, of Notonecta maculata, a species which, he says, had 
hitherto been received only from the West of England. It was common here, years 
ago, in the gravel pits on the edge of the forest ; quite as common, I think, as 
N. glauca and furcata. Ranatra linearis and Naucoris cimicoides were also common 
in the same pits, most of which are now filled up and the land cultivated. — Id. 
Occurrence of Sisyra Dalii and S. terminalis near Reigate. — On the occasion of 
the Entomological Society's excursion to Reigate on the 6th inst., I captured four 
examples of Sisyra Dalii (vide Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. 2, p. 268) by beating the bushes 
on the banks of the river Mole. These are not so large as the specimens I had 
previously seen, of Mr. Dale's capturing, and thus the comparison of sizes already 
given {loc. cit.) is scarcely correct. A subsequent visit to the same locality has 
produced three more, and I also found 8. terminalis rather commonly ; but the 
generally distributed 8. fuscata was represented by a single individual only ; pro- 
bably the Mole is too turbid and sluggish a stream for the latter species. Both 8. 
Dalii and 8. terminalis are at present known only as British, but I can scarcely 
suppose that they do not occur on the Continent, where they are probably over- 
looked, being undoubtedly confined to particular streams. — R. McLachlan, Forest 
Hill, July Uth, 1866. 
Description of the larva of Leucania pallens, with notes on its hahits, ^c. — After 
many attempts to rear this species from eggs, I have at length succeeded, much to my 
satisfaction. The moth is common enough, yet the larva is not often found by 
collectors, even when specially searching for grass-feeders, as I have had ample 
proof through many seasons. Eggs, however, can readily be obtained, and friends 
have supplied me with them in previous years that duly hatched, but the young 
larva3 always died or escaped when a few days old. When they leave the eggs they 
are exceedingly active and restless, evincing no desire for food, but seem bent on 
escaping from confinement ; possibly the proper species of grass not having been 
supplied, previous broods having been placed on Triticum repens and Dactylus 
glomeratus. 
I am indebted to Mr. D'Orville for a further supply of eggs in September, 1865, 
which hatched during their transit by post, and the young larvse were put on a tuft 
of Aira ccespitosa, and after a day or two of incessant exercise they settled to their 
food, eating only the cuticle or green portions of tile blades, leaving transparent 
patches on the grass. 
They appeared to hybernate in December, but as they were kept within doors 
all the winter, their hybernation was but partial, for I observed them once or twice 
on the tops of the grass in January and February, at that time about half-an-inch 
long, and much darker in colour than most of their congeners at that stage of 
growth. 
