186 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
to be parasitical on other insects. Is this the case?—W. A. 
Forbes ; 35, South Castle Street, Edinburgh, June 17, 1874. 
[The insects are returned named, with the exception of the 
little black ichneumon with exuded ovipositor, which I must 
decline; I have never professed to name ichneumons. The 
little bees, of the genus Halictus, positively swarm on all 
garden-flowers at this time of year. The pretty fly, No. 5, is 
a gall-maker, not a parasite; the long ovipositor is for the 
purpose of penetrating the rind of the twig, in which it 
deposits its eggs: from this peculiar structure the insect has 
been named Stylata.—Edward Newman. | 
Acronycta Alni in the New Forest.—On returning yesterday 
with a friend from a New Forest expedition, between Broken- 
hurst and Lyndhurst, our attention was suddenly attracted by 
the brilliant yellow and rich dark blue colours of this splendid 
and unmistakable caterpillar, at rest, in a slightly curved 
position, on some old palings.—W. Borrer, jun.; Cowfold, 
Horsham, Sussex, July 25, 1874. 
Extracts from the Proceedings of the Entomological Society 
of London, May 4th and June \st, 1874. 
Sir Sidney Smith Saunders, C.M.G., President, in the chair. 
Supposed Albino Solenobia.—Mr. W. C. Boyd exhibited 
specimens of Solenobia inconspicuella, taken in St. Leonard’s 
Forest, and amongst them a specimen, taken at the same 
time, of a remarkably pale colour, which might possibly be 
an albino variety, but had a very different appearance from 
the ordinary form. 
Brachycentrus subnubilus.—Mr. Boyd also exhibited some 
leaves of the common comfrey (Symphytum officinale), 
gathered at Cheshunt, the under sides of which were found 
to be completely covered with specimens of Brachycentrus 
subnubilus. ‘There appeared to be some hundreds of speci- 
mens closely packed together, and they were all dead, or in 
a moribund state, when found. All were said to be males, 
but on close examination a single female specimen was 
discovered amongst them. No explanation could be given as 
to the object of their congregating together. Mr. Stainton 
remarked that there were many such instances of a habit of con- 
gregating amongst insects, which were equally unaccountable, 
and as an instance he mentioned a fact known to all breeders 
