62, THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
ECTOPSOCUS BRIGGSI (McLacz.) PSOCOPTERA. 
By T. A. Cuapman, M.D., F.E.S. 
Earty in December I came across some Psocids in various. 
stages on dead leaves of lime in my garden. I happened to 
secure one of these and endeavoured to name it, and found it 
ought to be HL. briggsi, except that the wings were free from any 
dark shading at the marginal end of the veins. I asked Mr. 
Lucas whether it was EH. briggst or something else. I think I 
need not have done so, as I shortly found plenty of typical 
E. briggsi, and have no doubt the first specimen was a variety, 
though it is curious it should have been the first specimen I 
found, and such another has not since occurred. 
Throughout December and January this insect was to be 
found, I may say, in all stages on these dead leaves, and up till 
the present (February 1st) imagines have been maturing from 
larve and nymphs on leaves brought into the house. There 
were also eggs, most of which perished, by leaves on which they 
were getting mouldy, owing to my not properly caring for them ; 
but some hatched, and there are now larve or nymphs (whichever 
is the term used for young Psocids). During December there 
also appeared specimens in nearly equal numbers of Stenopsocus 
cruciatus (I am indebted to Mr. Lucas for the name), but none 
have appeared lately; for several weeks only HE. briggst have 
appeared. The eggs may have been of the latter species and 
not of H. briggsi. I don’t know. 
The dead lime leaves on which both species occurred were 
both on the ground and stranded at some height on bushes. 
They did not seem to mind how wet they might be, and they 
could, with our weather during this period, be very wet and fairly 
continuously so. I fancied they fed on surface funguses and also 
nibbled very minute holes in the leaves. The holes were there 
in considerable numbers, but I did not see them made. I also. 
found EL. briggsi on a dead and very bare skeleton of Datura 
stramonium, so that I fancy it is not at all particular as to its 
habitat or food. I was rather astonished at the rapidity with 
which the H. briggsi made their escape by running and flying 
when the jar in which they were bred was opened. I was 
perhaps rather careless, as I did not want specimens, nor knew 
anyone who did. It contrasted with the way in which the larve, 
though fairly active, were very careful not to be separated from 
the leaves which afforded them both board and lodging, wet and 
uncomfortable though they often were. 
I find to-day some four or five imagines recently emerged, and 
think that two of them are somewhat deficient in dark marginal 
markings, so I suspect this may be evidence of immaturity. 
There are also larve of different ages. I also brought in a 
