roebuck: YORKSHIRE HYMENOPTERA IN 1878. 65 



that when going through a colhery in South Yorkshire in Sept. 

 1877, one of the colUers informed him that they often killed 

 ** mosquitoes," which seemed to possess strange qualities. Upon 

 investigation it appeared to him that the "mosquitoes'" were a 

 species of Sirex., probably escaped from the mine props. 



It was from a colHery near Barnsley that Mr. S. Jefferson, 

 F.C.S., of Leeds, received this year (1878) several specimens, one 

 of which he kindly gave me. 



These specimens (and also one which was taken alive in 

 Leeds in 1877 and given to me by Mr. Henry Crowther) although 

 usually referred to S. jiivencns^ seem to agree tolerably well with 

 Thomson's description of his 61 vielanocerus. But in view of the 

 great variability of the insects of this genus, it remains for further 

 investigation to show whether they really appertain to the new 

 species, or are merely aberrant specimens of the old one; or even 

 to show whether S. melanoceriis itself be truly distinct from its 

 congener. 



Sirex gigas L. A specimen has been this year taken by 

 Mr. John Grassham in a joiner's shop in Leeds, which is unusually 

 fine — in fact the largest I have yet seen. 



In the Entom. for April 1879, xii. iii, Mr. Thos. Wilson 

 records the occurrence of two specimens in 1878 at Holgate, 

 York. 



Family CYNIFID^— Gallflies. 



Again am I indebted to Messrs. Bairstow and Snellen van 

 Vollenhoven for the only additions made in this group. Both 

 are from the Huddersfield district, and their names are — 



Synergus paiiidicornis Hart. (One specimen). 



S. facialis Hart. (Three). 



D5 



