234 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Invasion. — The ant invasion, described by so naany, was 

 observed in the north of Cornwall on Wednesday. Driving 

 with my family and some friends to Redruthan on that day, 

 we were surprised by a sudden gust of wind, bringing with it 

 an immense swarm of winged ants, too many of which, for 

 our comfort, located themselves upon us, and it was no easy 

 task to get I'id of them. Upon our arrival at Redruthan we 

 found a large portion of the sand darkened with dead ants, 

 evidently drowned ; each receding wave left a wide mark 

 along the beach." — J. Gatcornhe ; Stonehoiise, September 

 5, 1874. 



[1 have described in my 'Familiar Introduction' how the 

 male and female emerge from the pupa state at the end of 

 August, furnished with wings. A report of this "extraordinary 

 occurrence" and " unheard-of phenomenon" appears annually 

 in our newspapers, just before the autumnal equinox. — E. 

 Newman.] 



Correction of an Error. — I am sorry to say that I was 

 wrong in saying the galls, mentioned by me in the July 

 number (Entom. vii. 165), were those of Cynips lignicola. A 

 day or two after I sent you the notice the perfect insects 

 emerged, thus showing that the gall had arrived at maturity. 

 This gall, of which I enclose specimens, was very abundant 

 on some oaks, near Edinboro', during the past summer. 

 When fresh it is soft, succulent, of a green colour tinged with 

 pink, and, unlike other galls, was by no means unpleasant to 

 the taste. Can you tell me the name of its maker? — IV. A. 

 Forbes. 



Answers to Correspondents. 



Miss L ***** ; Pollen Masses of Orchids.— The " strange- 

 looking objects" attached to the "tongue" (more properly 

 maxillae) of a moth are neither Fungi nor Acari, but masses of 

 pollen from the blossom of some Orchid. These curious objects 

 have frequently puzzled me in my early collecting days; 

 but on one occasion in Birch Wood, being in company with 

 the late William Christy, that accomplished botanist explained 

 the seeming mystery. Long after this, and indeed until 1 read 

 an abstract of Mr. Darwin's really wonderful observations, I 

 had formed no conception of the meaning of this phenomenon. 

 However, since the publication of his book, 'Ou the various 



