THE ENTOMOLOGISt. 59 



dull whitish blotch, containing a very indistinct small brown 

 mark. 



Vanessa Urticce and Polychloros were similarly treated : 

 the latter produced no peculiar-looking specimens, excepting 

 that the ground colour was darker than in ordinary bred spe- 

 cimens. The Urticae in spile of their starving came out nearly 

 the natural size. Many have a thick black nervure in the 

 centre of the wing; also a bro\A'nish patch between the middle 

 costal spot and that in the inner margin, and the dark 

 margin round the wings is ivider than usual. 



The effects of starving these three species would therefore 

 appear to be similar, as far as the causing of dark spots, 

 patches, &c., goes. Being very interested in the subject, 1 

 should be glad to hear from other collectors if they have 

 often noticed the same features when breeding the Vanessa. 



H. Ramsay Cox. 



Thornleigli, Forest Hill, 

 January 24, 1876. 



Collected Ohservaiions on British Sawjlies. 

 By Edward Newman. 



Before atlempling to catalogue the reputed British species 

 of sawfly, 1 crave permission to give my own view of what a 

 sawfly is, and also to indicate what I suppose its position in 

 the system of Nature. In doing this I propose to incorporate, 

 recapitulate, and amalgamate, certain opinions I expressed in 

 the year 1832, and during the ten or twelve years imme- 

 diately following. 



I am led to this course by reading, after a lapse of thirty 

 years, the following passage in a letter addressed to me by 

 the late Dr. Harris, of Harvard University : — 



" In a private course of lectures on Entomology, given 

 to some of the students of the University four years ago, I 

 endeavoured lo explain your system, and made diagrams 

 for the purpose, some of which still remained hanging in 

 the room when our excellent friend Mr, Doubleday saw 

 my collection of insects. I have often wished you would 

 combine in one work all that you have published on the 

 classification of insects, and the characteristics of the 

 groups You have often very happily illustrated what 



