NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 163 



undoubtedly enabled the natural enemies of insects to clear avvaj-' 

 the greater part of the larvae and pupse, hence the rarity of Lepi- 

 doptera ; but it is to be hoped that we shall have a good autumn 

 season. To our local fauna we have to add Scoparia basistrigalis, 

 one specimen being taken at Sandburn Wood. It has previously 

 been taken near Selby and Doncaster, but not before so near 

 York.— W. Prest; 18, Holgate Road, York, June 20, 1882. 



Ichneumon of Chelonia plantaginis. — To-day, when taking 

 a fairly good specimen of Chelonia plantaginis oif the setting- 

 board, I found an ichneumon larva (about half an inch long) spun 

 up between the insect and the board, and saw a large hole in the 

 abdomen of the insect, out of which it had evidently come. — 

 C. E. Newnham; Chippenham, June 8, 1882. 



[May we suggest that our correspondent sends the ichneumon 

 pupa to Mr. Fitch, Brick House, Maldon, Essex, who will doubt- 

 less let us hear more of its histor3^ — Ed.] 



Paniscus testaceus, Grav. — A few notes on the life-history 

 of Paniscus testaceus may not prove uninteresting to those who 

 study our British parasitic insects. On June 14th of last year, 

 in examining some larvae of Dicramira vinula, I noticed a few 

 little black shining objects hidden between the rolls of skin close 

 behind the head. Suspecting that these objects were connected 

 with some parasite I determined to leave them unmolested, 

 having ascertained that they were firmly imbedded in the body of 

 the animal, and that only half of each was observable, like an egg 

 in an egg-cup. About a fortnight after this one of the black 

 objects hatched, and the rest soon followed suit. The larvae thus 

 issued into the world were fat, footless, greenish white, semi- 

 transparent creatures, attached head and tail to their host, swaying 

 about with his every movement. Most of the D. vinula larvae were 

 so weakened by the attack that they died before reaching the pupal 

 stage ; but one survived, and built up a cocoon towards the end of 

 August, the parasites being then — I write from memory — about a 

 quarter of an inch long, and very fat and flabby. Towards 

 Christmas I broke open the pupa-case, and found inside five long, 

 spindle-shaped, dark brown cocoons, measuring from half to three- 

 quarters of an inch in length, each sparingly enclosed in silk. In 

 the midst of these was the skin of the hapless D. vinula larva, 

 who had been sucked quite dry by his uninvited guests. The 

 perfect insects emerged on May 19th, and proved to be 



