18680 259 



In his description, however, of the punctuation of the elytra and abdomen of quadri- 

 punctulus, he appears to be at variance with the latter author. Some light may be 

 thrown on the apparent contradiction in the terms applied by Kraatz to the 

 antennae in this insect, by his (rather curious) statement that there is an occasional 

 variation in the width and length of their penultimate joints. 



Thomson in a measure follows Kraatz, by stating the antennae in quadripunc- 

 ttilus to be longer and more slender than in dissimilis ; but in other respects the 

 characters given by him agree with those mentioned by Erichson, — who does not, 

 however, infer or call attention to any such superior length of antennae in the 

 former insect. 



According to Fairmaire (Faune Ent. Fr., 533), H. quadripimctulus is less than 

 H. dissimilis (a character not recorded by other authors), with the abdomen and 

 elytra less punctured, and the head much narrower than the thorax. The punctua- 

 tion seems right as to the elytra, but not as to the abdomen ; and the extreme 

 narrowness of the head is not corroborated by other authors (save, perhaps, by 

 Kraatz, as above mentioned, but who contradicts himself in that respect). — E. C. Rye, 

 7, Park Field, Putney ; February, 1868. 



Note on Oyrophccna strictula, Er., a species apparently new to Britain. — Th^ 

 insects under this name already in our lists seem to me (on account of their com- 

 paratively light colour and more uniform antennae) to be 0. polita, Grav., Ktz. 

 The true Q. strictula should be much darker, without the obsolete double series of 

 thoracic punctures, and with the six penultimate joints of the antennse getting 

 gradually stouter. I have detected a single specimen, presenting these differential 

 characters, among some beetles sent to mo for names by my friend Mr. T. Wilkinson, 

 of Scarborough. — Id. 



Note on Galesus ccecutiens, Marshall. — Among some Hymenopterous " odds- 

 and-ends " sent to me by my friend, Mr. T. J. Bold, of Long Benton, I find an 

 example of the above species, taken near Newcastle. This makes a third locality 

 for this cm-ious insect, the peculiarities whereof I in vain brought before our local 

 savans ; and which, had it not been for our energetic Milford correspondent, would 

 probably have remained unmentioned in this country, until described by some 

 continental author. — Id. 



A few words on had spelling. — The pubHcation of a Catalogue of British Insects 

 under the auspices of a scientific society, offers an opportunity for getting rid of a 

 number of the more flagrant instances of cacograjihy in names, which it is to be 

 hoped will not be neglected. It is often urged that these little blunders have 

 become so endeared to the entomological mind, that to weed them out would be 

 almost sacrilegious ; and that a considerable number of excellent entomologists are 

 not Greek scholars, and would not recognise many familiar appellations, if presented 

 to them with the right number of letters in proper sequence. Surely this is very 

 insufficient reasoning. A word would seldom be so much changed as to be wholly 

 irrecognisable. And if at first some violence were done to the feelings, they would 



