NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 211 



Stathmopoda pedella. — One windy day in July last I was 

 beating about on the lee-side of a long clump of alders in Suffolk 

 with the hope of stirring out any Lepidoptera there might 

 be sheltered among tlie foliage, but after nearly an hour's hard 

 work I had only captured a few insects, none of which were worth 

 retaining. In the field was a solitary alder tree, the top of which 

 at some time had been broken off; around the stem was a tangled 

 mass of young alder shoots and bramble, among which, on the 

 ground, a quantity of debris, including plenty of last year's fruit, 

 liad collected. Although I did not expect to get anything from this 

 particular!}^ exposed tree, after so unsuccessfully working the more 

 sheltered clump, I was surprised to find two queer-looking insects 

 in my net, the result of the first beat. I at first thought they 

 belonged to the coleopterous order, but, having boxed them, I 

 found that they were true Lepidoptera, which I subsequently 

 made out to be Stathmopoda pedella. The curious habit this 

 insect has of bringing the hind pair of legs forward and sticking 

 them out at right angles with its head, like antennae, in con- 

 junction with its shape, coloration, and markings, are so 

 suggestive of a beetle, that one might easil}' mistake and consider 

 it a coleopter.on. Subsequent visits produced in all seven speci- 

 mens from the tree ; one only, a wasted specimen, from the 

 clump of alders. — Richard South ; 12, Abbey Gardens, St. John's 

 Wood, N.W. 



Notes on the Time of Appearance of some Rare Water- 

 beeti-es. — I have often been struck with the vagueness of our 

 information as to the time of year when our water-beetles are to 

 be found ; moreover, when I have found any information my 

 experience has frequently contradicted it. Consequently I resolved 

 this year to make some accurate notes as to the time when the 

 rare Hydradephaga of Askham Bog appeared, when the}' were 

 most abundant, and when they ceased to be found. I have made 

 many visits to the bog since January, and kept a ver}' close 

 account of my captures, with the following results : — Hydroporus 

 Scalesianus. — This insect, which I believe is in this country con- 

 fined to Askham Bog, appeared as earl}' as February 9th, when 

 I took two specimens; on March 17th it was abundant, and 

 after that became scarcer by degrees. H. ohlonyus. — One speci- 

 men appeared on February 1 ith ; in the middle of Mar(3h it was 

 frequent ; in April it became scarce, and could not be found after 



