CAPTUKES AND FIELD REPORTS. 205 



sources whence the insects may have come to Birmingham— either 

 trom some warehouse in London, in many locaUties of which city the 

 insect IS well established, or by direct importation from the Continent, 

 ibe fact that P. r/eniuoiica, unlike Styhpi/ga (Blatta) urientalis, attains 

 Its full development in three or four months, and that one of the 

 specimens taken was immature, seems to point to a probability that 

 they were Pt-itish " born and bred," for the goods did not come direct 

 from Germany, and moreover had been lymg for nearly fourteen days 

 m Birmingham before I observed the insect. As is well known, this 

 species IS practically cosmopolitan, bat its true home seems to be the 

 northern and more central portions of the Palfearctic region. Sharp, 

 quoting Brunner, says that it has been found in increasing numbers 

 m Vienna, where it is displacing oneutalia: but Miall ('The Cock- 

 roach,' p. 19) mentions that on the whole the latter species is dominant 

 not only over </eniianica, but over the much larger Blatta a.iiericana as 

 well. In this country the insect has established itself in a few localities 

 only, mainly in the south-eastern counties. Burr ('British Orthoptera,' 

 p. 2i) gives London, Hastings, Folkestone, Aldershot, Bradford, and 

 Bognor ; while Miall (/or. at.) also mentrons Leeds. The egg-capsule 

 has been described and figured by Riley {' Lisect Life,' vol. ii. U.S. 

 Agr. Dept.), as well as by Brunner, and therefore does not need any 

 further description. I may add that Mr. W. J. Lucas has been kind 

 enough to examine one of my specimens. — A. D. Imms ; "Linthurst," 

 Oxford Road, Moseley, near Birmingham. 



CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 



IscHNURA PUMiuo IN THE New Forest.— Oil May 37th and 28th 

 this interesting little dragonfly was beginning to appear in the New Forest, 

 and after lengthy search a few specimens were secured. From some 

 points noticed while on the watch for the species, it may possibly be found 

 that they breed in wet boggy ground rather than actually in water, as seems 

 to be the case with Orthetrum, eamlescens. — W. J. Lucas ; June 6th, 190L 



Hesperia sylvanus. — I have recently read in ' Butterfly and Moth 

 Collecting ' (by. G. E. Sirams) that this species is very partial to "yellow 

 gorse." I should like to know if this has been generally noticed, as I have 

 never seen the species on that plant, but invariably in or near woods, on 

 brambles and bracken. — A. Marshall; Cranbrook, Kent, May 29th, 1901. 



Smerinthus ocellatus. — A splendid specimen was captured last week, 

 in a garden here, on a cabbage-plant. — A. Marshall ; Cranbrook, Kent, 

 May 29th, 1901. 



Entomological Notes for May, 190L — From May 1st till the 15th 

 Lijcmia an/ioUts was very plentiful here, and in splendid condition. On May 

 l3th and 14th a number of Vanessa poiychloros lArssd emerged from the 

 ova obtained during the latter part of April. On May 14th I took several 

 specimens of Thecla ruhi from an elder-flower. There were many elders 

 about, and many flowers on this one shrub, but T. rubi seemed to prefer 

 this particular blossom; I captured three specimens within two minutes. 



ENTOM.— Jl'LY, 1901. R 



