NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 17 
obtained seventy pupx of Z. filipendule, from which I bred 
thirty-eight imagos, five Diptera, two Tachina larvarum, Linn., 
three Hzorista vulgaris, Fall., and five small ichneumons (A panteles 
sp. ?), the remaining twenty-two standing over until this year, from 
which I obtained twenty-two Mesostenus obnowxius, eleven male 
and ten female, between June 19th and July 38rd, the males 
preceding the females about eight days. The parents of M. 
obnoxius evidently pierced the victim when nearly, or quite, full- 
fed; for the larve of Filipendule make the usual cocoon, and 
change to pupe; the parasite larva feeds within the pupa, and 
when full fed constructs a strong pupa case within, of the same 
colour as the outer, and attached to it, forming a part and parcel 
of the outer covering; the remains of the pupa case of Filipendule 
is generally found at one end of the outer case, and the old larva 
skin at the other. Mr. Meade named the Diptera, and Mr. Fitch 
the ichneumons.—G. C. Branextu, Stonehouse, Nov. 19, 1879. 
MESOSTENUS OBNOxIUS, Gr.—-The above note upon Mesostenus 
obnoxius most satisfactorily fixes a previously unidentified 
life-history; the parasite so minutely referred to in the 
‘Entomologist’ (vol. iv. pp. 125-26) by Mr. Henry Moncreaff 
was clearly Mesostenus obnoxiws, Gr. ‘This ichneumon has 
hitherto been considered rare in Britain; there are but two 
specimens (both females) in the National Collection, and 
these, I believe, are both referable to the common M. lgator. 
This year, curiously, I have received M. obnoxius from both 
Mr. W. P. Weston and Mr. T. R. Billups, as well as from Mr. 
Bignell. Mr. Weston’s specimens are likewise bred from one 
year old cocoons of Zygena filipendule; and another point in 
this moth’s economy has been elucidated by him, for he found 
Anomalon fibulator, Gr., a frequent parasite; this species, how- 
ever, invariably emerged the first year. Mr. Billups’ single 
specimen (a very dark female) was captured, but what is most 
interesting is the variation exhibited by M. obnoxius in these 
three envoies. I specially called Mr. Bridgman’s attention to 
this, and he has added the following note, in which it will be seen 
how neuration, puncturation, sculpture, and size all vary greatly ; 
there are also other minor variations, such as the white ring in 
the antennee of the females; the colour of legs, especially anterior 
pair in female, &c. C.G. Thomson, in his ‘ Opuscula Entomologica’ 
(p. 516), does not mention M. obnoxius, but he describes a closely 
D 
