46 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



year, and in both years the proportion was almost exactly the 

 same, namely, one yellow to every twenty-five with the red 

 band. Limacodes asellus, with pupa-case ; bred (for the 

 first time) from pupae found at Mario w, Bucks, attached to 

 the leaves of the beech. Nola albulalis ; taken near London. 

 Nonagria brevilinea; taken at Horning Fen, Norfolk. Two 

 of the specimens exhibited were without the characteristic 

 short line at the base of the wing. Pterophorus rhododac- 

 tylus, with pupa-case; bred. Mr. Weir exhibited specimens 

 of Mantis religiosa, with two of the egg-cases ; found by 

 himself at Meran, in the Tyrol, in September last. 



Printers' Wooden Letters Perforated. — Mr. M'Lachlan 

 exhibited a printer's wooden letter, such as is used for 

 printing posfing-bills, perforated by a species of Anobium, 

 and he was informed that the insect was causing serious 

 damage to the printer's stock of these letters. The wood was 

 believed to be pear-tree. He had recommended soaking the 

 letters in a mixture of carbolic acid and water. 



[This is a very common occurrence, and an evil very 

 difficult to remove. It is not confined to letters, but extends 

 to, and is infinitely more injurious to, frames and cases (I use 

 printer's phraseology). The genera Plinus, Ptilinus, Niptus, 

 Anobium, Gibbium, and Mezium, — in other words, beetles of 

 the families Ptinidaj and Anobidse, — seem to confine their 

 attention to old and well-seasoned wood, and to require 

 strong measures, whether for prevention or cure. Kyanising 

 is effectual for both purposes, but impossible to apply in 

 small doses; boiling, spirits of turpentine, camphine, and 

 benzole, are efTectuai for the latter; carbolic acid is useless. 

 I have previously remarked that longicorns (Cerambycida^) 

 attack only living and growing wood, and this also may 

 possibly be the case witii Buprestidae. Lucanus, Dorcus, 

 Sinodendron (Lucanidaj), devour wood in a dying state, and 

 hasten its decay. Cetonia, Gnorimus, and Trichius (Ceto- 

 nidaj), eat dead, actually rotten, wood. Of course in all these 

 instances I allude to those beetles in the larval condition. 

 For the Cerambycidse no cure or preventive has yet been 

 found. The Lucanidse and Cetoniadae do us little or, 

 perhaps, no injury ; and therefore a remedy is not required. 

 — Edward Newman.] 



Pselaphidce and ScydmoinidcB Jrom Australia. — Dr. Sharp 



