NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. ith 
The pellicle, as far as I could make out, was simply a thin skin 
without any markings of its own, but of such extreme trans- 
parency and delicacy that the transverse striz of the contained 
embryo might be seen perfectly clearly through it; and it also, 
sometimes, retained the markings of the striation of the tenant 
where there had been much pressure. The eggs varied slightly 
in appearance, as if at different stages; one oval, and filled 
throughout with striz very clearly discernible; another, similar 
in shape, but in which the embryo lay curled within, showed the 
unmarked pellicle like the most transparent film in the unoccupied 
portions of the egg, which yet had some degree of power of 
resistance to pressure, for on a Phytoptus squeezing itself between 
the egg and another body close by, the contained embryo was in 
no way disturbed in position. ‘There were also many pieces of 
broken pellicle, possible remains of hatched eggs. I have never 
before met with shoots of hazel with such great numbers of the 
swollen and distorted bud-gall, characteristic of this especial 
Phytoptus attack ; and their formation, as well as the numbers and 
health of the contained Acari, did not appear to have been 
retarded by the severity of the weather.—EK. A. OrmERoD; 
Dunster Lodge, Spring Grove, Isleworth, March 17, 1879. 
EARLY APPEARANCE OF SIREX GIgas.—On February 4th I had 
a fine male Sirex gigas given me, transfixed with a pin to a piece 
of wood, alive. Hvidently, from its freshness and _ perfect 
condition, it had only just emerged. Is not this unusually early 
for this insect to make its appearance, especially considering the 
severe winter we have had? Last summer, no less than twelve 
Sirices were taken in an ironmonger’s shop here.-—JosEPH 
ANDERSON, jun.; Chichester. 
SIREX GIGAS, NEAR YorK.—Two specimens of this insect were 
captured at Holgate during the past season. Since then I have 
been splitting some boles of Pinus austriaca, when I discovered 
a number of larve of different ages of this species, some of them 
apparently full fed. Those full grown were about the size of full- 
grown Sesia bembeciformis larvee.—T.Witson; Holgate Road, York. 
HAsy METHOD OF SPACING CABINET-DRAWERS.—Being about to 
line out with fine thread the spaces in my cabinet-drawers for the 
series of insects to go into them, and conceiving that there would 
be a difficulty in tying all the knots at an equal distance from one 
another, the following plan suggested itself to me, and I have 
