1 12 [October, 



Mr. Walton, and a second have been taken on the same tree by tny friend Dr. 

 Sharp, I am fully satisfied that the ordinary food-plant of both the northern species 

 of this genus is the Scotch fir. An almost certain method of taking them, as well 

 as RMnomacer and Anobium nigrinum, in localities where they do occur, is to cut oflF 

 a few branches of that tree about the beginning of June, and in ten days or a fort- 

 night afterwards to pay occasional visits for the purpose of carefully beating them 

 over a collecting net or an open umbrella. I reserve a notice of a few other 

 species for a future number. — R. Hislop, Blair Bank, Falkirk, lOth August, 1867. 



Ceuthorhynchi on Sisymbrium officinale. — Like Mr. Rye in the south, I was led 

 to pay special attention to Sisymbrium officinale growing near Forres. It may 

 interest your readei'S to know what species frequent the plant in that latitude. I 

 found C assimilis, erysimi, contractus, constrictus, floralis, quadridens, cyanipennis, 

 and chalybwus. A single specimen like sulcicollis, if not that species, was bottled, 

 but cannot now be found. Who knows but it may have been tarsalis ! — Id. 



Note on Oxytelus flavipes, Stephens. — In Mr. Murray's " Catalogue of Scottish 

 Coleoptera," p. 128, Oxytelus fiavipes, Steph., is given on the authority of Mr. 

 Hardy, as having been captured by him on the " sea-coast near Cockbumspath." 

 Last year Mr. Murray kindly presented me with a specimen of 0. flavipes, taken 

 by Mr. Hardy himself, and which turns out, on careful examination, to be 0. 

 maritimus, Thomson. Dr. Sharp, who has seen the specimen, confirms me in this 

 opinion. In Mr. Waterhouse's Catalogue no mention is made of 0. flavipes, Steph. ; 

 and Mr. Rye, who has examined the Stephensian cabinet in the Brit. Mus. for me, 

 informs me that there is not only no exponent of that species therein, but that there 

 is even no label for the name of it. The first locality given in the Manual, " Dung, 

 London district," renders it extremely improbable that Stephens had the maritime 

 and algcE-frequenting species in view when describing his insect; though the 

 second, " Devon," might possibly point towards it : in |bhe " Illustrations " it is 

 stated to occur near Dover, and in the metropolitan district. At all events it seems a 

 pity that Mr. Hardy, who evidently had a good species in view, did not describe it 

 under a name different from that used by Stephens. — W. R. McNab, M.D., S. C. 

 Asylum, Dumfries, 4th September, 1867. 



Endromis versicolor in Worcestershire. — Referring to the query at the foot of 

 my note (ante p. 64), allow me to add that I am quite certain the larvse were those 

 of E. versicolor. It must be borne in mind that they were taken on the 3rd June. 

 My note is dated the 18th July, by which time the larvse had grown considerably. 

 I compared them with the illustration and description given in " Westwood's 

 Moths," and have not the slightest doubt as to their identity. I am sorry to say 

 that only eight of the number turned to pupae, the remainder shrivelled up and 

 ^ied. — Edward S. Haines, Brettell Lane, Stourbridge, Sept., 1867. 



Occurrence oj a new British Noctua (Folia nigrocincta, Ochs.J in the Isle of Man. — 

 On Tuesday, August 22nd, I had the pleasure of breeding a new British Noctua. 

 The larva from which I bred it fed on Silene, and was quite new to me ; and when 



