214 THE entomologist's recoed. 



They appear to be of greater area than could be accounted for by sup- 

 posing they represented the shrivelling of a continuous coat of the egg, 

 resulting from the egg protruding through a rupture at the end. But 

 that this case or capsule has some such origin looks very probable. 

 This is, therefore, an egg that has a cocoon from which it emerges. 

 A later investigation, after moistening the eggs, shows that the case is 

 really a capsule from which the egg is escaping, the bract -like 

 processes are double, that is, are folds of the retreating egg-covering. 

 The summits of these folds are curved, with the concavity towards the 

 open end of the case, and in* one place two roAvs of these folds, consist- 

 ing of three in front of each other in each row, form a very regular 

 pattern, each member of which is very like a bract, say of oak, in 

 form.- I shall be much interested to hear from Mr. Donisthorpe how 

 this cocoon is provided for the egg, and what is probably its use. — 

 T. A. Chapman, M.D., F.Z.S., Betula, Reigate. June 2drd, 1900. 



Further note on Clythra : the newly-hatched larva. — Jinu'2St/i. 

 Two of the larvte mentioned in the above note have emerged, one 

 from a naked egg, one from one of the clothed ones. The clothed egg 

 has a larva that looks very much as if the clothing Avere to form the 

 first larval case, the head and legs protruding from the egg, of Avhich 

 a portion is still visible just beyond the margin of the clothing. This 

 is either really so, or I have happened just to catch it as it was 

 emerging. Two more eggs show the larva very plainly within the 

 transparent shell, the others are unchanged. The larva is very like a 

 miniature cockchafer grub, in having the abdominal segments acutely 

 bent forwards. The head is large, the antennae short and stumpy, of 

 two joints, the first so thick and the second so square at the end as to 

 look like the tAvo basal joints of a lepidopterous antenna Avith the 

 remainder broken off. The mouth-parts are Avell seen. The legs are 

 A'ery long, more than half the length of the body ; the cox®, femora, 

 and tibite being very long ; the tarsi are represented by a good claAV only, 

 Avhich is, hoAveA'er, not a claAV, but a joint, as it carries a hair or tAvo. 

 — Ibid. 



LePTINUS TESTACEUS near FaVERSHAM. COLEOPTEEA IN THE BlEAN 



Woods. — On May 12th last I had the good fortune, Avhile looking in 

 the mouth of a rabbit burroAv in a Avood, on the chance of obtaining 

 Alcochara cuniculontni, Kr., to come across a stray Leptinas tcstacem. 

 Further search revealed a mouse hole and run. Adjacent to and in and 

 about the leaA^es at the top of the run, Mr. Donisthorpe and myself 

 Avere able each to take a nice little series of this interesting beetle. The 

 spot Avhich has since been overgroAA-n by herbage is not more than a 

 quarter of a mile from my house. I hope to be able to look it up again 

 in the autumn. Mr. Donisthorpe Avas Avith me Avith a vieAV to a visit 

 to the Blean Woods, but these have not been very good this year. 

 May 13th Avas apparently too late for myrmecophilous beetles, only 

 the commoner Staphs being obtainable, and a second visit paid by 

 myself in June produced hardly anything aa' orthy of notice, except 

 Gunioctena nijiix's, Gyll., and NeiueuhiitA liictna. The Avhole place AA^as 

 then overrun Avith Formica riifa, and along the tracks nests occurred 

 eA^ery feAV yards. They SAvarmed on the bushes and trees, and it is a 

 Avonder that anything not myrmecophilous should be able to exist 

 AA'ith them. EA^en specimens of Balaninus villosm, FIbst., taken by 



