HINTS ON THE STUDY OF LEAF-HOPPERS. 225 



was amusing to watch the battles between Chrysophanus gordius, 

 which was very abundant, and T. ilicis for the " chief seats" on 

 the thyme-flowers, or to see a big A. adippe 'make for" a purple 

 scabious flower already overweighted and overcrowded with a 

 family party of, perhaps, a couple of Zygcena trifolii, a fiery 

 didyma, and a M. galatea, upsetting them all in a most un- 

 ceremonious way. The stream-banks here were the favourite 

 places for L. duponcheli, L. dorilis (not common), E. ai-giades, 

 and M. athalia, with the usual quantities of the two " blues," 

 L. corydon and L. bellargus ; while a little higher up, disporting 

 themselves on the now full-blooming privet-flowers, were T. ilicis 

 (type) and var. cesculi, a few fresh Gyaniris argiolus, and some 

 very ragged Grapta egea. During the day I worked round the 

 hill behind Le Bleone, and here some fresh Euchloii euphenoides 

 were out, a single worn male L. iolas, with M. galatea, P. dapli- 

 dice, and C. gordius (plentiful) ; and by the bridge over the river 

 I saw, but did not take, another P. alexanor. 



I also got the following list of Arctias during my time at 

 Digne, mostly at "light," on the side of La Collette : — Arctia 

 maculosa, A. casta, Rhyparia purpurata (very common), Arctia 

 hebe (one only), A.fasciata, Euprepia pudica, Arctia villica. 



HINTS ON THE STUDY OF LEAF-HOPPERS. 

 By G. W. Kirkaldy. \ <\ (^ yy. 



The neglect in the British Isles — and elsewhere — of the 

 Heteroptera is perhaps comprehensible. The prejudice against 

 the evil smelling few is extended to the entire suborder, and the 

 interest of their structure and life-history is overlooked. It is 

 difficult, however, to understand why this neglect is even greater 

 in the case of the Homoptera, and particularly- the " leaf- 

 hoppers." They possess no malodorous glands, their forms a,re, 

 if not usually brightly coloured, at least dainty, and some — for 

 example, Tomaspis sanguinea {=PTriecphora vidnerata) ,'~ Teti- 

 gonia viridisy Dikraneura aureola, andQEupteryx atropunctata — are 

 really pretty. 



The following brief notes are written to lead some of the 

 younger entomologists to the most neglected of the larger groups 

 of insects, and to notice some of the leading points of interest in 

 their life-histories and structure. The British leaf-hoppers have 

 been very admirably treated, as regards their systematic descrip- 

 tion and tabulation, by Mr. James Edwards, but a great deal 

 remains to be done in the discovery of new species, the extension 

 of the distribution of those already known, the determination of 

 food-plants, and the working out of life-histories. 



(a) New Species.— There must be at least fifty more species 



