1888.] 163 



beyond delaying progress and development, but wet is very fatal, especially to pupae 

 and young larvae ; the cold delaying their growth, and the wet rendering the food- 

 plant crude and innutritious, and injurious to the larvae, would doubtless be fatal to 

 thousands of caterpillars throughout the country. I found many dead or dying 

 whilst searching this summer, and many others I took soon turned sickly and died 

 of a kind of damp rot. But this is not all, the poor larvoe that survived stood little 

 chance, as when the greater part pupate (July) was the wettest month of the whole 

 year, and too much moisture is certain death to pupae. 



I think these reasons will, to some extent, explain the great scarceness of 

 autumnal insects ; but it would be interesting to have other opinions on this subject 

 (as there must be some explanation) whether I have hit the right one or no. — A. E. 

 Hall, Norbury, Sheffield : October, 1888. 



Spudastica petiolaris, Thomson. — Prof. C. Or. Thomson, in fasc. xi of Opuscula 

 Entomologica, has made the genus Spudastica for a very marked species of Limneria, 

 Holm., which he named petiolaris ; this is the same insect which I described in the 

 Trans, of the Entom. Soc. for 1882, page 151, and named Limneria Kriechbaumeri. 

 This insect has another peculiarity besides its structure, which I have not seen men- 

 tioned, that is the saltating power of the cocoon ; this is rather globose, oval, 

 chocolate, with a pale central zone. By holding the cocoon up to the light it is easy 

 to see how the jumping is done. The larva presses the middle of the body against 

 one side, and then curves the head and tail until they touch the opposite side of the 

 cocoon a little way from the ends ; it is then seen to blow itself out as if trying to 

 burst, till at last the head and tail can no longer resist the pressure, when they 

 instantly give way, but so rapidly, that I could not see the motion, but when they 

 gave way, I could feel the smart rap on the cocoon, as well as hear it. After the 

 larva had straightened itself, it resumed its former size and shape, and lay still at 

 the bottom of the cocoon till it began the movement again. The cocoons will jump 

 a considerable distance. These have, so far as I know, only been bred from Tcenio- 

 campa. I have received it from T. gracilis, instabilis, and from a doubtful species 

 from Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher.— John B. Brldgman, Norwich : November 1st, 1888. 



Notes on the dragon-flies occurring at Deal and Dover. — For the past eight 

 years I have collected the dragon-flies of this district, in the hope of being able to 

 record a goodly list'of species. The result, however, has been very disappointing, as 

 the following notes will show. 



Sympetrum striolatum, Chp., common ; S. Fonscolombii, Selys, one specimen at 

 Deal, 1881 (recorded Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. xxi, p. 21) ; S. sanguineum, Mull., at Deal 

 and Dover, occasionally. Platetrum depressum, L., Common. Libellula quadri- 

 maculata, L., Kingsdown, in 1881 ; L. fulva, Mull., one $ , Kingsdown, 1881. 

 Brachytron pratense, Mull. — this beautiful species is very common at Deal, especially 

 the $ , which is seen flying rapidly up and down the numerous dykes which intersect 

 the land between Deal and Sandwich ; the $ is generally taken away from the 

 water, and has been found in shop windows in the town ; I also took a fine adult $ 

 in a woody district in Dover, May 5th, 1883. JEschna cyanea, Mull., and JEsch. 

 grandis, L., both occur, but are decidedly scarce. Lestes sponsa, Hans., Deal. 

 Pyrrhosoma minivm, Harris, very common. Ischnura elegans, v. d. Lind. ; this 



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