999. THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD. 
enter a burrow of any sort. These two are, with the exception of the 
two species of Colletes, the most abundant bees here. Osmia aurulenta, 
not very common; O. leucomelana, not rare, and nests in dead stems 
of the ragwort; O. spinulosa, common. Stelis octomaculata, five speci- 
mens of this rare little bee were taken in July, 1916, the first four fly- 
ing about and settling on the bare sand (its flight to my mind much 
resembles that of Oxybelus mucronatus), the fifth was taken entering an 
excavated ragwort stem which was lying on the sand. Anthidium 
manicatum common ; last year several were noticed entering burrows 
in a bank of coarse rubbly sand, in a situation where it was impossible 
to dig them out. Anthophora furcata, fairly common at Ballota nigra— 
this is a common bee in most parts of the county. Psithyrus and 
Bombus are well represented, perhaps the most uncommon species 
being B, distinguendus.—H. M. Hatuerr (F.E.8.), Penarth. October 
2nd, 1916. 
AcIDALIA CONGRUATA AT GENEVA.—Mr. Muschamp is interesting and 
amusing as ever in his graphic account, ‘“ Olla podrida,” of collecting 
at his electric lamp, and the number and variety of his captures remind 
me of somewhat similar experiences years ago at Aigle. I know him 
for a keen and careful observer, and therefore hesitate to suggest a 
doubt about the identity of any of his “takes.’’ But as he himself 
hints modestly at the possibility of error, as he had “ neither books 
nor drawers of insects for reference,” may I ask whether on further 
scrutiny he is convinced that Acidalia congruata should be rightly 
included in his list of captures. Both Prout and Staudinger confine 
this species to Sicily. Of course, as in the case of so many other 
lepidoptera, it may occur in widely different localities from those 
originally assigned to it.—(Rev.) Franz E. Lows, Guernsey. October 
1st, 1916. 
SMERINTHUS OCELLATUS AND STAUROPUS FAGI NEAR Pooty.—I want to 
note a second emergence of Smerinthus ocellatus bred from ova laid by 
a female taken at Parkstone this year by Mr. W. HE. Gray. ‘The ova 
were laid the third week in June and hatched early in July, the imago 
emerging on September 8rd. Also near Poole my brother, Mr. EK. 
Harker Curtis, beat three larve of Stauropus fagi on September 2nd 
and 31d. They were obtained in a small copse, which for other reasons 
we think is a remnant of an ancient wood (very ancient). This species 
is known to occur in Dorset, and we have taken the imago at another 
locality, but as a Pool insect it is quite new to us, although we have 
collected in the neighourhood for over twenty-five years.—K. Parkinson 
Curtis (I’.E.8.), Aysgarth, Poole. 
G URRENT NOTES AND SHORT NOTICES. 
In the nt. Mo. May. for July, Mr. G. C. Champion coneludes his 
long paper, ‘‘ Notes on Melandryidae,” and gives a coloured plate; Mr. 
J. R. le B. Tomlin announces a Carabid, Pterostichus angustatus, from 
W. Surrey, as new to Britain; and Lord Walsingham announces a 
Tineid, Stigmella speciosa, from Hants, as new to Britain. 
In the Hnt. News for July, Mr. Wm. Moore advocates the use of 
para-dichlorobenzine as a substitute for potassium cyanide in killing- 
bottles. He claims that the bottle is easily charged, the benzine does 
