56 the entomologist's record. 



number of adult beetles, collected in the lake at Twin, where they 

 appear during the rams in exceedingly large numbers. I have identi- 

 fied the beetles as Unectes griseus, Fab., and the larvae, probably belong 

 to the same species. The interest of the donation lies in the fact that 

 these larvae are eaten by the natives of the district, probably under the 

 impression that they are small shrimps. I am informed that Dytiscid 

 larvae, collected from ponds, are also occasionally eaten by the natives 

 of various districts in India. — Cedric: Dover, Calcutta, India. January 

 18t7i, 1921. 



A Mansfield Mixture. — My son made a special journey to Sher- 

 wood Forest in March, 1920, on purpose to obtain melanic Phigalid 

 pedaria for breeding purposes, but he only took one melanic female. 

 There were plenty of types of both sexes. The melanic female de- 

 posited a nice batch of ova, which hatched out in due course ; they 

 fed up well on hawthorn, and I was in great hopes of rearing some 

 melanic forms from them. The first to emerge was a rather small 

 typical male, on December 22nd. They continued by single specimens 

 to emerge daily, but all males, till on December 30th one typical female 

 emerged, but on January 29th, 1921, they came out with a rush. 

 About thirty came out, sexes about equal in number, males typical, but 

 six of the females were melanic. These I have placed with six of the 

 best marked males, to try my luck again in breeding melanic forms. 



The larva of Halia wavaria were rather common in some gardens, 

 and a second brood was produced. I took the first one on September 

 24th. They rather increased in numbers up to the end of September. 

 .1 took eight specimens and took out eight of the summer brood from 

 my series and replaced them by eight of the September brood, on the 

 whole they are rather smaller than the summer brood. On the even- 

 ing of September 30th one flew into the kitchen and made a most 

 determined attempt to offer itself up as a burnt offering at the kitchen 

 light. At last it effected its purpose, I hope to its own satisfaction ; 

 there was just enough of its cremated remains to prove it had been 

 Halia wavaria. 



Larvae of Abraxas grossularidta were not so numerous as usual ; 

 those I fed up from my own garden did not produce me any vars., but 

 I had better luck from larvae I collected from a currant bush growing 

 wild in a fence, for one produced a nice form, the olack on the wings 

 was normal, but the wings are dusted over with most minute black 

 atoms, which give it a very dusty look. It is one of my best vars. I 

 think it is rarer than the form varleyata. 



The gooseberry sawfly larva was a pest, it did not give the larvae 

 that fed on the gooseberry foliage, such as H. ivavaria and A. grossu- 

 laridta, a chance to feed. I found the best way to settle their account 

 was to give the main stem of the tree on which they were feeding a 

 good sharp blow with the handle of a spade or fork, the more sudden 

 the blow the more effective it proved in dislodging the larvae, and 

 have ready some quick lime and throw it over them. 



I think the only larva that occurred in its usual numbers in my 

 garden was that of Piusia moneta. In 1920 I took about two dozen 

 larvae and cocoons ; the larva; are the easiest to get through to the 

 imago that I ever kept, they are similar to pigs, only give them plenty 

 of food they will thrive and hasten their own end. 



