THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 107 



from both the Sphinges and Bombyces, and placed at the 

 head of the Tortrices. In my 'Illustrated Natural History of 

 British Moths' I do not include the Tortrices, because they 

 are usually considered to belong to the Micro-Lepidoptera, 

 and my work applies only to the Macro-Lepidoptera : more- 

 over, a Mr. S. J. Wilkinson has published a work on the 

 British Tortrices, to which I have alluded in my preface, 

 and I scrupulously abstain from interfering with any depart- 

 ment of Entomology which another has selected for elucidation. 

 The omissiou of these two moths was, therefore, intentional. 

 (2) The 'Illustrated Natural History of British Butterflies' 

 was published early last year, at seven shillings and six- 

 pence. 



Early occurrence of Ophion ohscurus. — Exclusive of 

 Lepidoptera, the insects that most constantly resort to a 

 light are Bradycellus fulvus, Aphodius rufipes, and Ophion 

 luteus; and it may be supposed that these three transact 

 their business in the night, and rest during the day. The 

 only living specimen that I have seen of Acentropus niveus 

 came to me in like manner. Ophion obscurus was attracted 

 by a candle on the 2nd of March; its early appearance 

 corresponding with the unusual mildness of the season. — 

 Francis Walker. 



American Aphides and Cocci. — In the ' Transactions of the 

 American Entomological Society,' vol, i. p. 283, Dr. Shimer 

 has founded a new genus of Aphides, which he names 

 Hamameliotes, and describes two species — H. cornu and 

 H. spinosus : they both feed on Hamamelis Virginica 

 (witch hazel). The first forms obliquely-conical or horn-like 

 galls on the under side of the leaves ; the other forms spiny 

 galls, which are transformed fruit. The first species may be 

 the Byrsocrypta Hamamelidis of Fitch ; the second is more 

 remarkable on account of the change of fruit into galls, and 

 no like metamorphose has been observed to be caused by 

 European Aphides. The same author gives a full description 

 of Coccus conchiformis, Gmel., which has been transferred 

 from Europe to America, and is there more destructive to 

 apple-trees than in its earlier region. But there is a remedy 

 for this evil in America, which remedy does not occur in 

 Europe, and it is in the person of Acarus ? Malus, Shimer^ 

 which uses the Cocci for food, and rapidly diminishes their 



