1898.] 41 



young twigs, and cannot be distinguished from those of A. trilineatus. — Q-. C. Bio- 

 KELL, Stonehouse, Plymouth : December 2^tJi, 1897. 



[This is a confirmation of a similar experiment by Adler. — Eds.]. 



Aculeate Hymenoptera at Stoiorough SeatJi, Dorset. — I spent many days in 

 August, 1895, and August, 1896, in hunting for Odynerus basalis, but without 

 success. I easily fixed the spot where I captured the ? on July 24th, 1868 ; the 

 surroundings have not altered in the least, even the tall clump of thistles grows 

 exactly as it did on that memorable occasion, but the strikingly handsome wasp was 

 not to be found ; no doubt in July one would have more chance of success. 



Stoborough Heath is a most attractive collecting ground, stretching almost from 

 Wareham to Corfe, and though disappointed in the main object of my visit, the 

 capture of such species as Methoca ichneumonides (in one instance the $ was seen 

 hovering low down and shadowing the 5 as she ran along the sand — but was missed), 

 Myrmosa melanocephala, Salhis affinis, Nomada alboguttata, Andrena argentata, &c., 

 made some slight amends. 



Bournemouth. — A week spent in August, 1896, to find Formica exsecta was 

 equally unsuccessful. My previous visit dated back to 1868, and the improvements 

 which have taken place since then are most depressing from an entomological point 

 of view ; the wild stretch of East Cliff, where exsecta nests were abundant in 

 1868, is now a worn out parade, the wild bit of heathy ground at the back of the 

 old town, where exsecta was equally common, is now a Winter Garden, and the bank 

 which that most tropicaF form of all our Aculeates, Eumenes coarctata, used to 

 frequent in numbers, is not to be fixed at all. Perhaps exsecta still flourishes a little 

 further out-, but I was glad to move on to Stoborough. — Gr. A. James Eothney, 8, 

 Versailles Koad, Anerley : December 5th, 1897. 



Aculeate Symenoptera at Newquay, North Cornwall. — Mr. Edward Saunders 

 (who with his usual kindness named my captures) thought that the following list of 

 species taken at Newquay last August might be of interest to Hymenopterists. 

 Newquay itself is not a very promising collecting ground : the golf links at Eistral 

 Bay proved the most favoured spot, but any one who could visit Perran Porth in 

 June or July^would, I feel convinced, obtain some very fine species ; at this village, 

 situated about eight miles from Newquay, there are miles and miles of most glorious 

 sandhills, with plenty of attractive vegetation, altogether forming an ideal collecting 

 ground, especially for the fossorials. Unfortunately, on the two days I spent there 

 the weather was windy and cold. 



At} Bedruthan .Steps, a few miles from Newquay, when climbing up the cliff 

 from the beach on August 3rd, the hottest day of last year, a wasp settled for a 

 second on the face of the rock close by me, and then sailed backwards and forwards 

 in a way there was no mistaking ; it was a black Rhynchium, and the size and purple 

 shimmer of the wings recalled the Indian species metallicum. Before I could get out 

 my net the prize had disappeared, and some hours of careful search were unsuccess- 

 ful. I trust the next Hymenopterist who visits this wild and beautiful spot will be 

 more fortunate, for I am as certain as any one can be, short of actual capture, that 

 it was a true Rhynchium. 



