240 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



for although it is pretty wary and seldom allows one to approach 

 very closely while it is at rest, it flies heavily and for a very short 

 distance before settling again. It was rather widely distributed, 

 haunting hillsides covered with long rough glass. In the neighbour- 

 hood of Kurkut, on the Spanc Eiver, it was exceedingly abundant. 

 Smaller and more delicate, and by repute rather better known, are 

 the ant-lions, whose larvae construct pitfalls in the sand for the capture 

 of their insect prey. I found Myrmeleon euro'paus extremely abundant 

 in several ravines, chiefly in places where these characteristic fissures 

 widen out as they debouch into the plains. Perhaps the most singular 

 and charming insect I met in the Balkans was Nemoj.)tera coa. I 

 found it in one place only, but there it was plentiful. It was a 

 mulberry orchard by the side of the Galiko Eiver — a place particu- 

 larly suitable for all forms of insect life, for two great masses of rock 

 which kept off the biting Vardar wind afforded protection to a large 

 number of tender plants, while small backwaters from the stream 

 provided more moisture than is found in the open plains in summer. 

 At first sight I took these insects for a delicate species of diurnal 

 moth, for they flitted gracefully amongst the rushes and long grass 

 with rapidly beating wings much after the fashion of the Zygaenas, 

 but it was not long before I noticed the long streamers, which are the 

 extraordinary development of the hind wings, trailing behind. 

 Beyond taking a few specimens, I was not able to spend much time 

 in the place, greatly to my regret, for I believe the early stages of 

 this insect are still extremely doubtful. Ascalaplms longicornis is 

 another insect that was, at first sight, generally mistaken for a 

 butterfly, and even a moderately experienced entomologist might be 

 forgiven for falling into the eiTor. Not only are the wings richly and 

 deeply coloured in yellow and black, but the long antenna) are very 

 distinctly knobbed in butterfly fashion. This insect has a very swift 

 but erratic flight, appearing to dash straight upwards and immediately 

 swoop down again and settle on the grass ; but, like the other 

 members of this family, its excursions are always short, and it is 

 easily captured by persistent following. Its appearance, when at rest, 

 is very singular, the curious angle at which the wings are held, 

 combined with the brilliant colouring, being unlike any insect I am 

 acquainted with. It was not very abundant, but during the month 

 of June in both 1917 and 1918 I saw a good many individuals. — 

 Hubert Mace ; Faircotes, Marlow. 



