6 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Young larvae did not thrive on Skimmia, but when large the 

 larvae fed well on it, and did not show any disposition to wander 

 away in search of other foods. 



Cottagers round about here found larvae of machaon on carrot 

 and in some cases promptly killed them, thinking to save their 

 vegetables. In other cases they fed them up successfully. 



1912. — This year I have heard of some machaon being seen 

 in the district. One only was seen in my garden. I conclude 

 circumstances are too strong for this fine species, and he cannot 

 establish himself. 



In conclusion, and in confirmation of my last remark, the 

 larvae which were allowed to fend for themselves in the house and 

 pupated, were all stung, so that not one remains. 



It is well known that Continental machaon are found in all 

 manner of situations, whether marshy or on dry hills, and the 

 same race should be able to maintain themselves anywhere in 

 the South of England, were it not for their enemies. 

 The Tower, Heybridge, Essex : Nov. 14th, 1912. 



SOME BIOLOGICAL NOTES ON RAPHIDIA MACULI- 

 COLLIS, Stbph. 



By C. B. Williams, B.A., F.E.S. 



During March, April, and early May of this year I took 

 larvae and pupae of a Baphidia in some numbers under the loose 

 bark of pine-stumps on Oxshott and Wisley Commons in Surrey, 

 pupae being found as early as March 23rd. Some of the pupae 

 from Oxshott hatched and proved to be Baphidia macidicollis, 

 Steph. ; those from Wisley unfortunately died through being kept 

 too dry, but I feel confident that they were the same. I found 

 it necessary to keep the pupae on moist moss to prevent them 

 from drying up. 



On May 4th a female B. macidicollis emerged from one of the 

 Oxshott pupae and was put with a male of the same species 

 which I had captured that day at Oxshott. The two were kept 

 in a glass beaker closed with a piece of cloth and were fed daily 

 on rose aphids {Siphonophora sp.) which they took quite readily. 

 The mode of feeding was as follows : the aphis was approached 

 slowly and cautiously at first, then captured by a sudden rush 

 and raised aloft in the jaws, the long prothorax of the snake-fly 

 being elevated in the manner characteristic of these insects. 

 The prey was then slowly but completely consumed, the legs 

 and antennae, which usually stuck on the head of the Baphidia, 

 being cleaned off by drawing the tarsus of the front leg forwards 

 over the top of the head. The pieces were in this way trans- 

 ferred to the tarsus which was then drawn downwards between 



