THE ENTOMOLOGIST. "$87 
back.—S. 7. C.; High Ham, Longport, Somerset, July 
20, 1871. 
My own invariable practice is to pin Hymenoptera, and to 
set them with the wings expanded; but I do not collect those 
minute parasites of which Mr. Walker has described so many 
species; these are invariably gummed on cards. Mr. Walker 
brings them home alive in a phial, which has a piece of 
blotting-paper, or some similar material, in it, to absorb the 
moisture. Arrived at home the contents of the phial are shaken 
over a basin of hot water, which instantly kills them, and 
they float on the surface. 
Small Specimens of Vanessa Urtice.—Ii write to inform 
you that [ have bred specimens of V. Urticz from caterpillars, 
which J obtained in Wales, measuring only 1;ths and 1;%ths 
inches respectively, from tip to tip of front wings. I bred some 
twelve specimens, varying from 1-*,ths to 1 ths, none exceeding 
the latter. I write to ask you if it is not unusually small, as 
I find, on referring, that the usual dimensions are 2 inches 
and over.—Geo. W. Oldfield; Shrewsbury, July 14, 1871. 
The size is much below the average: a very small race 
exists in the Isle of Man, but not so small as these. Some 
entomologists have -considered this a species; others have 
attributed the discrepancy to humidity of climate, insular 
situation, dryness of season, unusual heat, prevalence of cold 
east winds, &c.; but this small Manx race of Urtice appears 
to be constant, which would not be the ease were the size 
dependent on these conditions of atmosphere. 
Chermes Abietis, gall of the Spruce fir.—I inclose a piece 
of fir, in which there seems to be a large amount of some sort 
of scale-insect; hundreds of the males have come out, but 
there are still a few, I think, in the box; the females seem to 
be under the hard lump. Could you let me know what they 
are! I noticed a great many on one tree.—Z. A. Hall; 
Southgate Hill, Winchester. 
The insects which form these curious and beautiful galls 
are Chermes Abietis of Linneus. Kaltenbach thinks there are 
two species, which he calls Chermes coccineus and C. viridis ; 
but entomologists are not agreed on this. I propose to return 
to this interesting subject shortly, and to figure these galls. 
Grapla C-Album bred in July.—During the second and 
third weeks of last month several larve of Grapta C-Album 
