1897.] ENTOMOLOGICAL CONSULTATION 261 



Mr. Austen I should like it, and you would hear what they 

 say, and I would replace them to you. I have two puparia 

 which I suppose are not likely to develop till towards the 

 end of summer. 



April 16, 1897. 



I have been so fortunate as to find a puparium of a Deer 

 Forest fly lately sent me in a consignment from Strathconan, 

 and this gave me an opportunity of communicating with 

 Professor Jos. Mik, Vienna, and he pronounces the specimens 

 I sent accompanying to be females. He writes me (and I 

 think it very kind of him to take the trouble) an exceedingly 

 long letter, full of information and references, extending 

 in a very small handwriting over five and a half large pages 

 of note-paper, and, as he justly remarks, I have some 

 difficulty in reading it ! 



I think of getting Mr. Pillischer to make some preparations 

 of the L. cervi $ and their abortive wings so that we may 

 have material for a good figure. Professor Mik is fearfully 

 particular. 



May 12, 1897. 



Professor Mik identified my L. cervi as certainly well- 

 developed females. I think he was a good deal pleased to 

 have a mature puparium which I sent him and to dissect 

 out an immature one. He says that he has himself $ 

 of L. cetvij with abortive wings, so my work will not be a 

 discovery as I hoped, still I think it will be of interest to 

 illustrate. 



May 24, 1897. 



Your description of L. minor (lesser earwig) has helped 

 me enormously, and I have translated as much as I think is 

 likely to be needed of the technical part to help Mr. Knight 

 to make a characteristic drawing (fig. 43). 



I should like $ or ? and forceps of both, and I have 

 material for this, but I should very much like a wing. I 

 tried to unfold one or two and wasted my materials. Would 

 your microscopist set one for me do you think ? I should 

 much like it; for I fancy (I have not been able to make sure) 

 that there is a longer band of dark colour along the front 

 edge than in our common earwig. But, any way, if I could 

 have the wing set I should very much like to have a good 

 figure of it. 



October 5, 1897. 



If you can spare time to help me in the present inquiry, I 

 should be much obliged ; it is quite a trade business matter. 

 I am consulted by a London firm dealing in flour, as to 



