THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 45 



we generally find that its relations, C. hortensis, C. viola- 

 ceiis, &c., are lovers of the night rather than of sunshine, for 

 we often meet with ground-beetles when sugaring for Lcpi- 

 doptera. Not being a collectov of Coleoptera, I need hardly 

 state that I am unacquainted with the habits of the lovely 

 creatures included in that order. — G. B. Corhiii. 



Aphilothrix RacUcis. — After Mayr's translate'd description 

 of the gall of this species, Mr. Walker says, "This insect has 

 not been found in England," &c. This I think must have 

 been an oversight, as Mr. Marshall includes it in his descrip- 

 tions of British Cynipidse (Ent. Mo. Mag. vol. iv. p. 7) ; also 

 Mr. Mliller, in his list of British gall-insects (Ent. Ann. 1872, 

 p. 6); and I have myself found it at Shirley, in Surrey, and at 

 Rayleigh, in Essex, I believe it to be generally distributed 

 were it only looked for. — E. A. Fitch; Down Hall, Rayleigh, 

 Essex, January 3, 1874. 



Hymenoptera reposing. — During the summer I saw what 

 I supposed was some species of wild bee attached to the end 

 of a blade of grass, and as the weather was dull and the wind 

 blowing somewhat briskly it was swayed backwards and 

 forwards, and continually buffetted by the surrounding 

 herbage, yet it held on firmly, without taking any apparent 

 notice of such rough usage, until I attempted to box it, when 

 it immediately flew away. 1 believe 1 have seen a record of 

 a similar occurrence in some journal, but I forget where. Is 

 such a habit of general occurrence, and what is the name of 

 the species possessing such a j^eculiarity, or are there more 

 than one ? To all appearance the insect seemed asleep when 

 1 first saw it in its peculiar swinging situation, but as soon as 

 I touched the blade of grass with my finger it flew away, 

 although I did not disturb it half so much as the wind had 

 previously done. I did not see the insect settle upon the grass- 

 stem, so I cannot say whether it crawls up, or at once settles 

 at the point, but it does seem a strange situation for an insect 

 to be "rocked to sleep;" but why should I call it strange, 

 when the peculiarities and economy of almost every insect 

 are so wonderfully interesting. Possibly this habit is well 

 known to those who have made the Hymenoptera their 

 especial study, — if, indeed, I am right in referring the insect 

 T saw to that order, — and who will, I hope, give us a fuller 

 account of the insect, or insects, which choose such a position 



