NOTES, CAPTURES, ETC. 167 
vervain (Verbena officinalis), and Centaurea Jacea; also in the 
- seed-heads of Chrysanthemum inodorum (Pflanzenfeinde, pp. 839 
and 387). Harris also bred it from the receptacle of the 
chrysanthemum, and Curtis from Anthemis Cotula (Brit. Ent., 
393); while Bouché gives Meigen’s lateralis as mining the leaves 
of hound’s-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale and C. furcatwm) 
(Stett. Ent. Zeit., vii., 143). I have found the hound’s-tongue 
leaf-miner here, and Mr. Inchbald has bred the chamomile seed- 
head fly (Field, xlvii., 471; Oct 21st, 1876); but surely these are 
not identical with the beneficent groundsel-destroyer.—EpwarpD 
A. Fircx; Maldon, Essex, April 27, 1880. 
Pra ENEMIES.—With me the great pea-crop enemy of this 
year took a somewhat different form from last (¢f Entom. 
xl. 194). I had twenty acres of November-sown peas intended 
for early podding, and which until April looked perhaps the best 
crop in the neighbourhood. ‘Throughout that month they have 
suffered severely from the attacks of Tipula larve. These 
destructive larve were so numerous that I frequently found four or 
five around the root of one pea. They completely bark the 
plant just at the surface, and rather below it, leaving only the 
woody fibre for its support. It is almost unnecessary to say how 
very much this attack weakens all, and completely kills many, of 
the plants. Jipula larve were also very abundant and destructive 
in the wheat this year, especially where it is after clover.— EpWwarpD 
A. Fircu; Maldon, Essex. 
Larvz oF Srratiomys 1x Winter.—I do not remember ever 
to have seen it stated in what condition the aquatic Stratiomide 
pass the winter months. ‘The following note on the subject may 
be of interest :—I have a box which, in the summer, I use as a 
receptacle for aquatic larve. I place in it, at the bottom, sand 
~and stones and some water-weeds, and keep it filled with water. 
During the past winter this box was emptied and placed in 
a cellar, but the sand was not removed, and consequently became 
dry. On getting this box out, towards the end of March, I was 
surprised to find amongst the sand a larva of Stratiomys, which 
showed signs of vitality. On placing this larva in water I found 
it was alive, and it soon became sufficiently active to move the 
organs of its mouth with the peculiar motion characteristic of the 
insect when in search of food. It buried itself in the stones at 
the bottom, leaving only a small portion of its body exposed, and 
