247 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 



Migration of Libellula quadrimaculata. — Part of the migration 

 of L. quadrimaculata alluded to by Mr. W. J. Lucas {ante, p. 210) 

 evidently reached here. Prior to this year, so far as I know, the 

 species has never been observed in the Huddersfield district ; but in 

 June, and up to July 2nd, specimens taken miles apart were brought 

 to me, the last one by some boys near my own residence. — Geo. T. 

 PoRRiTT ; Crosland Hall, near Huddersfield, August 10th, 1900. 



Halias prasinana audible. — A male of this species was heard dis- 

 tinctly by me the other night at a distance of eighteen feet at least. 

 I took the sound for that of a mouse at first, as it was somewhat 

 similar to that sound. A better description would perhaps be that it 

 resembled the squeak of Acherontia atropos, except that it was con- 

 tinuous so long as the semicircular flight of the moth lasted. As the 

 moth turned in its flight the sound stopped. This flight was like that 

 of a Hepialus wheeling in half-circles round a bough of an elm, about 

 eight feet from the ground. I suppose many of your readers will have 

 noticed this before ; but how is it caused ? — R. Freeman ; Prescot, 

 Lanes. 



Proctotrypids e.v Lepidopterous Ova. — Referring to Mr, Bird's 

 statement at p. 224, I suspect his "ichneumons" were really members 

 of the Proctotrypidse, which are the insect-egg devourers par excellence. 

 He says the eggs were found upon aspen at Beaconsfield during the 

 first week of July, and emerged circa July 21st, 1900. On Aug. 13th, 

 1899, Mr. H. W. Shepheard-Walwyn, M.A., sent me for identification 

 from Strath-Tay a batch of white eggs with one black vertical spot, 

 each perforated with a more or less regularly circular hole, from which 

 had emerged a single minute hymenopteron (some still alive), of which 

 I carded eleven examples, along with the eggs. There were sixty-six 

 ova, and each one is thus punctured, some of the flies having succumbed 

 in process of exit, which, curiously enough, they appear to effect tail 

 first. Mr. Walwyn says he put the eggs down as those of Notodunta 

 dictaa, L. ; they were upon poplar, so, if he be mistaken, they are pro- 

 bably .V. ziczac, L. Knowing nothing of the parasites, I subsequently 

 sent them to Rev. T. A. Marshall, in Corsica, who tells me they are 

 referable to Nees's genus Prosacautha (= Teleas, Walk.), but that the 

 species is probably undescribed ; and, further, that there are thousands 

 of these tiny beings (the total length of mine is f mm. ; Mr. Bird's 

 must be less) at present undescribed and tabulated. We trust Mr. 

 Marshall will rectify this omission, since no one else can, in his forth- 

 coming volume upon the Proctotrypids. I wish, moreover, to enter 

 an apologetic protest against calling the whole Parasite Hymenoptera 

 by the sweeping title " ichneumonidfe," which is not only incorrect (in 

 more recent entomological times), but also misleading; and I would 

 refer your readers to the didactic table — surely sufficiently compre- 

 hensible — at Entom. xiii. p. 27. P.S. — I shall be glad of, and will 

 acknowledge any, Ichneumonidae sent to me. — Claude Moeley ; 

 Ipswich. 



