308 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



unproductiveness of sugar this season, that during the greater part of the 

 time to which I referred I was working on the Downs at an elevation of 

 about 500 feet, where the vegetation was necessarily stunted and the 

 absence of trees complete. Not only was there the marlied absence of 

 moths upon sugar and blossoms, but very little was to be seen on the 

 wing. At the same time I have no doubt that those working in woods and 

 ordinary collecting-ground find the honeydew every year, until washed oflF 

 by heavy rain, an important factor in their non-success in working sugar 

 or flowers. — Albert J. Hodges ; 2, Highbury Place, London, N. 



New views on the suborder Homoptera. — In the ' Entomologist ' 

 (p. 269), Mr. G. B. Buckton has contributed his views as to a new 

 classification of the Homoptera, which he calls " Cicadse." In the course 

 of his remarks he writes : — " And quite lately, Mr. W. L. Distant has 

 divided the Indian Cicadidae he describes into two groups, which practically 

 separates the singing, from the silent genera. The insects comprised in 

 the latter division must be numerous in the temperate regions of the 

 Himalayas ; but to them he does not appear yet to have given a name." 

 Mr. Buckton is mistaken : in my monograph of the Indian Cicadidse (a family 

 of Homoptera, not the suborder, which Mr. Buckton apparently considers as 

 the same thing), I have divided that family into two groups, separable by the 

 tympana in the males being more or less entirely covered or exposed. I 

 know of no " silent " Cicadidee. Of the other families of Homoptera, to which 

 Mr. Buckton says I do not appear to have yet given a name, I can 

 only say : — Firstly, I do not deal with them in my monograph ; and, 

 secondly, if I did, those families are not in want of new names. A 

 reference to Professor Westwood's ' Modern Classification of Insects,' or to 

 the writings of Puton, Stal, Berg, or other modern authorities on the 

 Homoptera (even including Walker, whom he mentions as a supporter of 

 his own views), would materially assist Mr. Buckton with the suborder of 

 which he has a monograph in preparation. — W. L. Distant. 



Fungus Parasitic on Insects. — Referring to my note and the editor's 

 remarks on this insect (Entom. xxii. 284), I have received a second letter from 

 my son, giving the following further details: — " The specimens T sent you 

 are rare. They were obtained on the top of one of the spurs leading from 

 the gorge of the Otaki River to the principal ridge of mountains previously 

 mentioned, near Kapiti Island, and were buried perpendicularly in ordinary 

 soil, about one inch below the surface, beneath the overhanging branches 

 of a Rata-tree, — a gigantic vine as large as a full-sized English elm." On 

 perusing Dr. White's instructive article on " Parasitic Fungi " (Ent. xi. 

 121, 1878), I notice that the allied British species {Isaria farinosa) attacks 

 the body of the larva in several parts, whereas the New Zealand species 

 does so, apparently, only in its extremities. I am not aware of any 

 advance in the study of the habits of the latter fungus since Dr. White's 

 article was written, which would unravel the mystery connected with this 

 parasite's modus operandi in attacking its victim ; and should such not 

 exist, any information on this and kindred points would no doubt be not 

 only highly instructive, but of much scientific value. It is therefore to be 

 hoped that some earnest worker in this branch of natural history may be 

 enabled to investigate the matter to a successful issue. — Geo. J. Grapes; 

 Berkeley Villa, 34, Charlwood Road, Putney, S,W., November 5, 1889. 



Erratum.— Page 236, line 30, for " ExpalUdana " read " parvulana." 



