214 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



general are treated of in the one case, and Lepidoptera only in mine. The 

 only reason I can assign for the females emerging first is, that they require 

 a certain period to elapse before coition with the males, and hence appear 

 before the males are ready for copulation ; but that is only conjecture. — A. 

 E. Hall; Norbury, Sheffield, July, 1889. 



CioiNDELA GERMANicA, Linn., IN DORSETSHIRE. — I beg to record the 

 occurrence of this rare and local beetle lately in Dorsetshire. It appeared 

 to be confined to a very small spot (between I3ridport and Lyme Regis). I 

 had no time to search closely for it, but picked up four fine specimens as I 

 passed quickly over the ground, on which there were others also running 

 about. It did not attempt to fly, though the sun was shining brightly. 

 The Rev. W. W. Fowler (' Coleoptera of the British Islands ') mentions it 

 as recorded in Dorset by Dawson, but gives no more precise locality, and 

 says that " Black Gang Chine (Isle of Wight) appears to be the only 

 locality in which it is now taken." I have felt it necessary, for obvious 

 reasons, to refrain from giving any clue to the exact spot, but shall be very 

 happy to communicate it to any homifide amateur coleopterist who may be 

 in that neighbourhood and desire to search for it. — (Rev.) 0. Pickard- 

 Cambridge; Bloxworth Rectory, July 16, 1889. 



Note on Ephippium thoracicum. — Donovan figured this fly in 1813, 

 from a specimen taken in Coombe Wood on June 4th, 1812, by G. Milne, 

 F.L.S., and goes on to say : — " Musca ephippium is considered to be a scarce 

 species in this country. It is known to have been taken occasionally by 

 the old collectors about thirty years ago, or rather more, in the woods about 

 Highgate, which, in consequence of the recent improvements in that vicinity 

 of the metropolis, are now demolished. It has occurred likewise in the 

 woods of Kent. Swainsou met with three specimens, at the same time, 

 sticking against the trunks of trees : this happened about twenty years 

 ago, and it was then esteemed a rare circumstance. The red thorax 

 reminds me much of the solitary ant, Mutilla europcBa. The larva fre- 

 quents rotten wood." I possess three specimens, which my father purchased 

 from the collection of the late Thomas Desvignes when it came under the 

 hammer in 1868. — C. W. Dale ; Glanville's Wootton. 



Sehirus dubius. Scop., AT HoRSLEY, SuRREY. — A Solitary specimen 

 of this very rare and beautiful Hemipteron, of the family Cydiuidae, was 

 taken while at rest on a dead stem of marjoram by Mr. Carrington, while 

 entomologizing in a rough place south of the Sheep Lees, at Horsley, on the 

 23rd of May last. I am indebted to Mr. Carrington, who not only very 

 generously presented me with the specimen, but kindly conducted me and 

 several friends over the same ground, on the occasion of the Field Excursion 

 of the South London Entomological and Natural History Society, to Horsley, 

 on the 22nd of last June, and, although we swept vigorously and searched 

 diligently for some considerable time, we were doomed to disappointment, for 

 no other specimen could be found. This being entirely a new locality for 

 Sehirus dubius, I think it is worth recording, its only hitherto known 

 localities being Pangbourne (Wollaston), Portland (Dale), and the Isle of 

 Wight (Mr. Edward Saunders).— T. R. Billdps. 



