256 THK KNTOMOLOGIST. 



bell heather, and bog-myrtle. — E. A. Cockayne ; 6, Taptou House 

 Road, Sheffield, Aug 22nd, 1901. 



LucANUs cERvus IN LoNDON. — Ou July 24th a fine male Ij. cerinis 

 was given to me. It had been found in an area of our street. Is not 

 this rather an unusual insect to occur in such a part of Loudon 

 (Pimlico) ? — N. L. Gillespie; 8, Ranelagh Grove, S.W., August 10. 



[This species has been fairly common at Balham this year. — Ed.] 



Gymnusa brevicollis in YoRKsmRE. — I captured a specimen of this 

 beetle under a stone in a stream near Staithes on June 14tli. — 

 N. L. Gillespie; 8, Ranelagh Grove, S.W., August 10, 1901. 



Note on Rhizotrogus solstitialis. — This beetle was very abundant 

 here about midsummer. We could have caught scores almost any 

 evening as they buzzed rou.nd the fruit trees in the garden. It would 

 be interesting to know whether this insect was observed in such 

 numbers in other localities. — Philip J. Barraud ; Bushey Heath, 

 Herts, August, 1901. 



Gerris cost.e (H.-ScJi.) at Deal. — I was surprised to find this, as 

 the species is, as a rule, alpine and subalpine both here and ou the 

 Continent. — G. W. Kirkaldy. 



SiREx gigas. — I caught a specimen of Sire.v gi;ias here on the 

 morning of August 1st. Can you in any way accoimt for the occur- 

 rence of this insect? — Thos. B. Blakeborough ; Ashlea, Brighouse ; 

 August 14, 1901. 



[The larva of this species lives in the solid wood of fir trees, usually 

 unhealthy ones. Eggs, however, have been known to be deposited in 

 sound trees that have been recently cut down. The occurrence of the 

 perfect insect in places where there are no firs is most probably due to 

 its having been introduced, in one of its earlier stages, with the timber 

 used in house-building, &c. — Ed.] 



Notes from the Chester District. — This has been a record year 

 with us for the handsome geometer Anticlea derivata. An old, disused 

 and neglected country road — grass-grown, and neglected even by the 

 insect-hunter, and with plenty of dog-rose and sallow on either side — 

 turned out to be a regular home for the pretty moth. Hypsipetes 

 impluviata and Cidaria siijf'umata were equally common in this lane, 

 along which tradition says William III. marched his army to Parkgate 

 previous to the battle of the Boyne, in 1690. Now, it is as silent 

 and lonely as a place can. well be. All traffic diverted, and entirely 

 neglected, except where absorbed here and there by adjacent fields, a 

 locality like this can only be worked in dry weather, and we had the 

 advantage of an almost rainless May when the three species were on 

 the wing. Among the early Noctuas Pachnohia ruhricosa and Tanio- 

 campa pnlverulenta [cruda) were especially noticeable in the district. 

 Day-work in June and July was chiefly devoted to two objects — • 

 (1) to find, if possible, the pupa-case of the dragonfly Leucorrhinia 

 dxihia, and (2) to see in how many Delamere Forest localities the 

 butterfly Cccnonympha typhon {davus) still lingered. In the first we 

 were disappointed. No amount of searching, even on hands and knees, 

 in the most horrible sponges and morasses, could unravel the mystery. 

 Only one clue did I discover which may possibly lead to the situation. 



