232 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



of Libellida (lepressa and L. qnadrmaculata, with \?iv. j^rcBnubila : also 

 larvae of Thecia hetulce ; all were collected at Eppiug. — Mr. Harrison, 

 long series of Amphidasys betularia, including six gynandrous specimens, 

 all bred from ova laid by a New Forest parent. — Hy. J. Turner, 

 Hon. Rep. Sec. 



Birmingham Entomological Society. — June \lth, 1901. — Mr. H. 

 Willoughby Ellis, Vice-President, in the chair. — Mr. Wainwright 

 showed a specimen of the rare Dipteron, Brachypalpus hbnaculatus, 

 Mcq., taken at West Malvern in Whitsun week, 1901.— Mr. H. W. 

 Ellis exhibited the following Coleoptera : — Cychrus rostratus, from 

 Dovedale ; Pterostkhus striola, with its eggs, also from Dovedale ; 

 Phytodecta rnfipes and Apoderus coryli, both from Knowle ; and Elater 

 pomorum, from Cannock ; also the curiously coiled-up leaves in which 

 are laid the eggs of Attelabus curculionoides and Depordus betiihr. — Mr. 

 A. D. Imms showed an immature specimen of PliyHodromia ijeiinanica, 

 taken in the University Buildings, Birmingham, and said that he 

 believed it to be the first known midland specimen. — Mr. A. H. 

 Martineau said that he had taken male and female of the rare ant, 

 Myrmecina latreilln, at Cannock Chase, the nearest place from which 

 he had it before being Selsley, Glos. — Mr. R. C. Bradley showed 

 Anisopteryx ccscnlaria, taken in the city boundaries near Cannon Hill. 

 — Mr. G. W. Wynn, long and nice series of Tmiiocampa yracilis, T. 

 instabiiis, T. rvbncosa, all taken at sallows at Hampton-in-Arden this 

 year ; also Cucidlia chamomilla, from Marston Green. — Colbran J. 

 Wainwright, Ho7i. Sec. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



D. J. ScouRFiELD. The Swimminy Peculianties of Daphnia and its 

 Allies, irith an Account of a New Method of examininy liviny Ento- 

 mostraca and similar Oryanisms. (1900, Journ. Quekett Microsc. 

 Club (2), vii. pp. 395-404 ; seven text figures.) 



Although papers upon Crustacea do not strictly come within the 

 scope of the ' Entomologist,' Mr. Scourfield's interesting biological 

 contribution may be studied with advantage by workers at other 

 groups of aquatic Arthropoda. 



In addition to the morphological distinctions between the four 

 genera into which Daphnia of the older authors is now divided, the 

 author points out a fundamental difference in the swimming habits of 

 Daphnia and Ceriodaphnia, on the one hand, and Simocephalus and 

 Scapholeberis on the other, the two former always swimming either 

 vertically or obliquely back uppermost, the two latter always swimming 

 more or less obliquely back downwards, so constantly so that it is im- 

 possible to mistake a swimvaing Daphnia for a swimming Simocephahis, 

 even with unaided vision. To ascertain the causes of these differences, 

 a method — detailed at length — was devised " of suspending the animals 

 by the top of their heads in such a way that they could use their 

 antennae and all other organs with perfect freedom, and yet not alter 

 their position in the water." This proved that the direction of the 



