216 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
was no doubt owing to the coldness of the weather. This, how- 
ever, cannot be the cause of their congregating, as on the former 
occasion it was during the hottest weather that they were found. 
The only male I have ever seen was captured on a shrub during 
last November, and not near any black pines.—Gero. VERNON 
Hupson; Palmerston, North, June 13, 1883. 
REAPPEARANCE OF PHOSPHENUS HEMIPTERUS, Geoff., AT 
Lewes.—This interesting beetle has again occurred at Lewes. 
Several specimens have been taken by my friend Mr. C. H. 
Morris, of this town, in his garden, and by his kindness I have 
been able to see the insect in a living state. The locality is not 
far from the place where Miss Hopley took the first British 
specimens in 1868. ‘The first specimens were seen this year on 
June 17th, and so far only males have occurred. The insect is 
very active by day, crawling quickly over walls, &c.; but it 
readily feigns death, contracting the limbs close to the body, and 
falling to the ground. The males are decidedly luminous, the 
light proceeding from two spots on the apical segment of the 
abdomen, both above and below. As in the glow-worm, the 
light is produced at the will of the insect, and when not visible a 
little irritation will generally render it so. This would make it 
probable that the light, at least in the male, is not used as 
a sexual attraction, but as a means of frightening its enemies, and 
warding off danger. Since I formed this conclusion I have had 
the opportunity of observing both males and females of Lampyris 
noctiluca. In the males of this species the light is produced 
almost exactly in the same way as in the male Phosphenus, but 
usually the light is very feeble and hardly visible. I have found, 
however, that irritation will almost invariably produce it brilliantly. 
In the female Lampyris the light is more involuntary, and I have 
only partially succeeded in producing by irritation a re-illumina- 
tion. These facts seem to show that the light of luminous insects 
is primarily a protection from danger; thus in the female glow- 
worm absence of wings having rendered it more helpless than the 
male, the light—the means of defence—has in a corresponding 
degree developed. At present I have had no opportunity of 
seeing the female of Phosphenus hemipterus.—J. H. A. JENNER ; 
4, East Street, Lewes, July 21, 1883. 
Erratum.—Entom., vol. xvi., p. 188, line 12 from foot, for 
“ Epione vespertaria which was getting over,” read ‘ Hpione 
vespertaria which was getting well out.”"—G. T. P. 
