Tmects. 9553 



on the 11th of May, 1860, out of six cocoons I got six females of the 

 species of Nemalus in question. My remaining larvae appear to have 

 dried up and died in the cocoons. I was sorry not to have got a male, 

 but I did not consider this a sufficient reason for postponing the pub- 

 lication of lliis description, as I thought it best to publish these three 

 so nearly allied species together. 



At first sight I took these insects for Nematus fulvus, Hartig, but a 

 close examination showed it to be a new species, and I felt the more 

 sure on this head from the fact of all my examples being perfectly 

 alike. 



The imago is eight millimetres long, expanding to eighteen. 

 Entirely shining reddish yellow, the upper surface of the antennae 

 being fuscous ; the points of the upper jaws shining chestnut-brown ; 

 there is a little dark spot between the three ocelli, and three oblong 

 black spots on the dorsum of the thorax. The anterior wings have a 

 yellow tinge. The costal and postcostal nervures, the stigma, and 

 the anal nervure are orange, the remaining nervures black. 



The points of difference between the present species and Nematus 

 fulvus of Hartig are as follows : the upper surface of the antennae is 

 not so dark in N. trimaculatus as in N. fulvus; the posterior margin 

 of the scutellum is red, not black ; there is no black line on the middle 

 of the dorsum of the abdomen, and there is no trace of brown on the 

 posterior tibiae and tarsi. 



I have not met with any of these larvae during 1860 and 1861 ; 

 should I, however, do so, and be so fortunate as to rear a male, 

 I shall be happy to insert a description in this periodical, and give it 

 as an appendix to some nearly allied species of Nemalus. 



Note o» the Turnip Grub. — Last autumn, having a large field of Swedish turnips 

 near to where I reside, I had an opportunity of making a few notes on the economy 

 of Ajjrolis Segetura, or whatever it is that attacked the turnip-roots. In August and 

 September, noticing large flocks of rouks and starlings hovering over and alighting on 

 the field, I was induced to examine some of the tuinips, and I found that the earth 

 had been billed away by the birds to get to the insects. A little later I walked over 

 the field, which comprises fourteen acres, and I could scarcely find a single turnip 

 that was not eaien. The earliest sown turnips seemed to sufi"er most. Many of the 

 larvae retired into the earth with the first frosts, but a vast number did not enter the 

 chrysalis state. I found them in the soil in winter in all stages of growth. Whea the 

 field was ploughed, in March, the rooks and starlings were again busy ; the latter, 

 however, were not so numerous. The starlings were very tame ; they would alight 

 sufficiently near the ploughmen to permit a view of their burnished plumage. Besides 

 the rook and starling, the thrush, the common hen and the Guinea fowl will eat thcie 

 VOL. XXIII. Z 



