EYED LADY-BIRD BEETLE. 73 



cuous for the yellow rim surrounding each of its spots during life." '■' 

 The beetle sent was rather over three-eighths of an mch in length 

 (that is, not quite the full size at which they are semetimes found), 

 and, being alive and uninjured when it reached me, the colouring was 

 in full perfection. The specimen had the head black, with two frontal 

 spots, and the front and side margins white ; the thorax (or fore body) 

 also black, with a narrow white margin in front, and a broad one on 

 each side, these broad margins bearing on each (towards the base) one 

 black spot with two white spots in its centre. The wing-cases were 

 rufous, or reddish, in colour, with eight black spots ringed with pale 

 yellowish colour on each. These spots were arranged as oue at the 

 base of the wing-case, then three arranged across, then three again, 

 and a longer shaped spot near the tip of the wing-case. These eye-like 

 spots with the black centres and light rings give the scientific name 

 of ocellata to this species, of which the term Eyed Lady-bird is a 

 convenient alteration. 



There are several varieties,} of which one has the elytra, or wing- 

 cases, unspotted ; one has " one or other of the spots on the elytra 

 deficient " ; and another has the spot on the shoulder only partly 

 ringed, and has also a small spot quite at the base of each wing-case 

 in the centre (the two spots close together), the other spots only 

 indicated by pale marks. 



In the specimen sent me, the shoulder spot was only partially 

 ringed, and the marking on the suture near the scutellum was very 

 clearly defined. 



This species is said by Eye to be one of those peculiar to Fir-trees; 

 Stephens notes that it affects Pines and Firs, as well as the Beech ; 

 and the specimen figured was found on a Hop-leaf belonging to a 

 Golding growing in an old Hop-yard in the parish of Yalding, Kent. 

 On enquiry of Mr. K. H. White, 9, Bentinck Terrace, Kegent's Park, 

 who had captured the insect, whether he could favour me with further 

 details, he could only tell me as above, that " the Lady-bird was 

 obtained from a white bine (or old Golding) Hop-leaf," adding the 

 remark, "which Hop, as possibly you may be aware, is one of the 

 hardest to grow, being peculiarly liable to suffer so much from the 

 attack of Green Fly."— (R. H. W.) 



As this Eyed Lady-bird, although in regular course found on Pine 

 or Fir, has certainly previously been found on Beech, and now this 

 specimen was found on Hop, there seems at least a chance that if 

 attention was directed to the subject it might be found more present 

 than is supposed, and with such an observable and good-sized insect, 

 something might really be practicable towards propagating or preserving 



* 'British Beetles,' by E. C. Rye, p. 229< 



t See Stephen's ' British Entomology : Coleoptera,' vol. iv. p. 379. 



