•24 NOTES ON BRITISH TRICHOPTERA, 



without injury. This seems to receive some sort of coii- 

 iirmation from the fact that apparently other species of icli- 

 neumons affecting other Trichopterous larvae, cause the latter 

 to spin similar footstalks. But of course this is mere con- 

 jecture, and needs further observations to demonstrate if it 

 has any foundation in facts. 



The Synopsis of the British Phrygamdm having been 

 completed in the last " Annual," the following remarks and 

 descriptions may be taken as supplementary thereto. Dr. 

 Hagen laboured under a great disadvantage in not having 

 the types actually before him when he wrote his descriptions ; 

 and in several instances, the species being unknown or ill- 

 undei'stood on the Continent, the only materials he could 

 work upun were notes, which are liable to be misunderstood 

 when a considerable space of time elapses before they are 

 made use of. Another circumstance, which adds greatly to 

 the difficulty experienced in determining many species, is the 

 had condition of most of Stephens's types. These have at 

 some time been damp and mouldy, and in attempting to 

 clean then, the hairy covering of the wings has in many 

 instances been totall}^ destroyed, thus rendering the specimens 

 almost useless as types ; this is especially the case with the 

 Leptoceridce. Mr. Curtis's collection is, on the contrary, 

 iu excellent preservation, and I am deeply indebted to the 

 courtesy of that gentleman for being able to leisurely and 

 carefully examine his types. He possesses several species 

 not included in the Synopsis, and at least one that has not 

 vet been recorded as British. It is unfortunate that Dr. 

 Hagen, when going through the British Neuroptera, could 

 not devote more than a ^ew hours to a collection so rich in 

 insects of this order, and which, as far as the Phryganidce 

 are concerned, is of especial interest, as containing the types 

 described in almost the first attempt at descriptions of these 



