118 Sir S. S. Saunders on the 



me by Mr. Smith, who, as he thought, had received them 

 from Italy, with other insects, ticketed as the larvse of 

 Meloe variegat'us. These have all the characteristics of 

 the ordinary larvse of Meloe, with the usual pecuhar tarsi, 

 the antennae having the 2nd joint very short, the terminal 

 more slender and moderately long, with a hair-like apical 

 seta as usual ; the thorax and abdomen furnished, at the 

 base of each segment, with two or three long lateral 

 spines, as also the base of the head, the vertex having 

 several short stout spines in front ; the abdomen termi- 

 nating in four elongate setae ; the outer pair shorter than 

 the intermediate pair, though the former much longer 

 than usual. I am not aware that the larva of this species 

 has ever been noticed before, but, as the adults are 

 habitually found along the coast near Margate (Leach, 

 Trans. Linn. Soc, vol. xi., 1813, p. 39 ; Ent. Mo. Mag., 

 vol. xviii., 1882, p. 277), it would be interesting to deter- 

 mine the character of their young by rearing some of 

 these from the egg, in order to ascertain whether they 

 really correspond with the aforesaid, and also whether 

 they are originally of such jet-black hue. 



This recital, involving questions for the solution of 

 which the materials lie within easy reach, and almost at 

 our very doors, but which have nevertheless challenged 

 the acumen of many of our ablest entomologists during 

 the last eighty years, may possibly induce some of our 

 younger members to direct their attention to the habits 

 of this remarkable group, and to the closer investigation 

 of those still obscure phases in their life-history which 

 have proved so embarrassing heretofore. 



As bearing on the question of age and origin it may 

 be desirable to place on record the most important 

 captures of these insects at different periods, serving to 

 indicate their usual times of appearance, though some- 

 times divergent therefrom. 



1. Of the black. 



The earliest period at which I have met with these at 

 Hampstead was on 4th April, 1875, when I was enabled 

 to detect no less than six specimens of the P. MelittcE on 

 the southern slopes of "The Vale of Health," closely 

 affixed, like long polished rolls, to the thoracical region 

 of various Andrence basking in the sun, chiefly on 

 Andrena atriceps ; when also I captured on the wing, in 



