PIMPLA SPURIA. 251 
plentifully at the blossom of ragwort. In one of the woods we 
took thirty specimens of the last-named, and could have doubled 
that number. This Hairstreak we have not met with in this 
locality before. At this time also we had a great catch of 
Chareas graminis, and also of Hydrecia nictitans, both these 
moths occurring together in the utmost profusion on one of the 
downs, frequenting principally the flowers of Scabiosa succisa. 
Among the Hymenoptera I have met with one or two rare 
things, but I have not done nearly so well in them as I hoped I 
should. The spring bees came forth early, but their numbers 
were very limited; and the autumn has been much worse than 
the spring, very few having appeared. Wasps of four kinds have 
been far too plentiful both indoors and out; in fact they are 
everywhere and on everything, proving very troublesome. One 
day about the middle of last month I was collecting with my 
nephew in one of the large stone-quarries, where there was a 
great abundance of various flowers. We noticed the whole 
ground at the roots of the herbage entirely covered, I may say, 
with Vespa vulgaris. They were crawling about and over every- 
thing just like ants, nor did they use their wings when disturbed, 
or attempt to do so; neither did they take any notice of us, but 
seemed all intent after something—but what it was we could not 
make out. The ground over which they were crawling was in size 
about half an acre, and some few days after this they were as 
abundant in the same spot as when we saw them. I may add 
that their nests were especially numerous near there. 
PPMP TAS P.U hia Gx. ? 
By Joun B. Bripeman. 
P. spuria ?—Jet black; legs red; hind tibie and tarsi 
black ; the former red-ringed (front coxe of female, all the coxe 
and trochanters of the male, black). Length, 8-9 mm. 
Twenty females and one male bred by Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher, 
of Worthing, from Depressaria herachiana, September, 1883. 
This insect, at first sight, is very like P. twrionelle in length 
of aculeus and colour of legs, but it is very distinct ; in neura- 
tion the transverse anal nervure is the same as in P. examinator 
