66 THE KENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD. 
pulent figure, render him very prominent; he constantly attracts a great 
deal of attention even from the least observant, and as he is very common 
in places, specimens are often submitted to me, usually with a query 
whether or not they are dangerous. 
On May 31st, Locusta viridissima, L., was adult, and fresh Decticus 
werrucivorus, L.; I came across a belated Acrotylus insubricus, Scop., 
tiny Cidipodid larvee, and fairly numerous nymphal Glyphanus. A 
pretty green apterous Phaneropterid, with black and pale markings on 
the dorsum, was in evidence on shrubs, but it is hopeless to attempt to 
name the numerous species of this group; it is difficult enough witha 
good library and collection for reference; in the field it is out of the 
question. Gampsocleis abbreviatus, Br., appeared, but not in such num- 
bers as last season at Lembet; several species of Platycleis, and some 
other Decticids, were abundant but immature. 
One small incident about this time was for a moment rather start- 
ling; our anti-aircraft guns were popping away in the distance, a pretty 
regular occurrence, when I saw against the bursts of shrapnel and clear 
blue sky, a fleet of fifteen aeroplanes coming straight over the village 
where we were quartered; ‘here comes a bombing squadron,” I 
thought, and made a bee-line for the nearest cover, then the squadron 
resolved itself into a flock of storks, flying low and straight, with im- 
movable wings. Storks frequent the villages in great numbers in the 
summer, and I have counted fifteen nests in one old plane-tree. The 
other common birds of the villages are incredible flocks of starlings, 
innumerable sparrows, and a few quaint and noisy little owls. 
Karly in June, on scrub in a little donga, I found nymphs of Acro- 
metopa; a little later, when they were mature, they turned out to 
represent two species, one grass-green, one bluish-green, one with 
rounded elytra, the other with truncated elytra; they must be A. mac- 
ropoda, Sery., the common Mediterranean form, and the rare Levantine 
A. syriaca, Br. By the middle of the month Acrotylus insubricus, Scop., 
was adult, and also Platycleis grisea, F., and one of its allies, probably 
P. affinis or P. laticauda. In Blattids, only Loboptera decipiens and 
Hololampra marginata, Schreb., were to be found. 
Beetles were numerous. After the Cetonias, the most prominent. 
were Longicorns ; one handsome black and red species, of medium size, 
occurred in numbers on the lofty and powerful thistles; these squeak 
angrily when handled, and continue to squeak protests and to kick for 
quite a long time when plunged into alcohol. Fine, sleepy Buprestids 
were common, and on the heads of the same thistle were numbers of 
very sluggish, biggish, black weevils, with long curved snouts, the 
whole body dusted with a mustard-yellow. The snout was usually 
buried in the stem of the thistle; a small Prussian blue Elaterid was 
common, on the same thistle, which was a good collecting ground. 
There were numerous Hemiptera, the commonest being a purplish 
Pentatomid and a black Capsid. Immature Mantids appeared to be all 
M. reliyiosa and Ameles sp., but the mess-waiter brought me in triumph 
one day a “very peculiar fly,’’ which turned out to be a much dilapi- 
dated adult Hmpusa, probably E’. egena, Charp. 
On June 28th, I met Lieut. C. D, Day, R.A.M.C., whom I found a 
most enthusiastic field naturalist; he had made extensive collections 
of almost all groups, but especially reptiles and Diptera, which he con- 
stantly sent home in small packets. I persuaded him to take up Or- 
