164 fJ'iiy' 



sive dockjard basins, and now supports a rank and varied growth of weeds and long 

 grass, with brackish ponds here and there. The original locality where T. elateroides 

 was taken by the late Mr. Brewer and other Coleopterists, is, I believe, some three 

 miles lower down the river near Eainham ; and a single unrecorded specimen has 

 occurred to me by sweeping on the sea-wall at Sheerness, in June, 1874. — Id. 



Is the Cockchafer (Melolontha vulgaris) decreasing in numbers in this country 1 

 — A recent visit to the New Forest for a few days, and the occurrence of Melolontha 

 vulgaris there in small quantity, reminded me that thirty or forty years ago this 

 insect used to be abundant, and that I had not seen it alive in this country for 

 several years ; no doubt partly because I have not latterly done much out-door 

 collecting at the proper season. But there is an idea about that the insect is really 

 less common than formerly. I shall be glad to have information bearing on this 

 point, and more especially from those entomologists who can base their opinion on 

 the experience of the last thirty years or more. — E. McLachlan, Lewisham, 

 London : June 21st, 1894. 



Clunio marinus, Malid. — The Rev. E. N. Bloomfield has kindly called my 

 attention to the fact that this species was observed on the surface of rock-pools at 

 Hastings, in April, 1872, by Mr. C. W. Dale, who recorded it in a note on " New and 

 rare British Diptera," in vol. xx of this Journal (p. 214). I wrote my account last 

 month, under the impression that (excepting Prof. Westwood's doubtful record for 

 Plymouth, Walker's Ins. Brit. Diptera, vol. iii) the midge had never been observed 

 on the English coast. It would be interesting to ascertain its range around our 

 shores. As the only other European species (C. adriaticus, Schin.) was obtained at 

 Trieste, a southern and western distribution in Britain might be expected. Figures 

 of the male are given in Walker's work (vol. iii, pi. xxv, 5) apparently copied from 

 Haliday. — Geo. H. Caepentee, Science and Art Museum, Dublin : June, 1894. 



Notes on Merodon equestris. — In January Mr. McLachlan kindly forwarded me 

 a tin box containing a number of Merodon equestris grubs, found by a friend of his 

 in a bed of seedling Bulbocodiums. The contents were placed in a small glass jar, 

 about two inches in diameter, and occasionally moistened. The larvse were very 

 restless, doubtless owing to their being confined in such a small space, and tunnelled 

 the earth in all directions. The first imago appeared April 13th, and they continued 

 emerging to the end of the month. Twenty-six specimens were bred, four being 

 cripples. They showed great variety in colouring, a few being entirely red, some 

 inclined to yellowish-grey with the lower half of thorax and scutellum black, others 

 entirely black with the exception of the last two segments, and several intermediate 

 forms. The time taken in drying their wings surprised me, many after 24 hours 

 emergence being limp and quite unable to fiy ; this was probably owing to absence 

 of sun heat. They appeared about one month earlier than those I take in my 

 garden, in fact, up to the present (June 16th) I have not met with it this season. — 

 Ealph C. Bradley, Sutton Coldfield : June, 1894. 



" Controlling the sexes." — Now that July is upon us, and Orgyia antiqua will 

 soon be abundant in most southern localities, it would seem a fitting opportunity for 



