88 [April. 



I found a single specimen at the base of a willow at Chingford Perry, Lea Valley. 

 I have since searched in vain for further examples in this spot, but I do not despair 

 of being able to turn up the species elsewhere in the Valley. The individual agrees 

 with others sent me by Mr. J. H. Keys of Plymouth.— F. B. Jennin&s, 152, Silver 

 Street, Upper Edmonton : March 19ih, 1898. 



An additional character in the male of Homalota marcida, Er. — An apparently 

 overlooked and good distinguishing character is to be found in the male of this 

 species. In this sex the head is furnished in the centre between the eyes with a 

 small but distinct shining tubercle, which appears somewhat keel-shaped, and varies 

 slightly in size in different specimens, but is always sufficiently distinct to be easily 

 observed with a Coddington lens. A structural development of this nature on the 

 head would appear to be decidedly unusual among the AleocharincB at all events. 

 I can find no reference to this sexual peculiarity of H. niarcida in Canon Fowler's 

 British Coleoptera, nor in the Q-enera et Species Staphylinorum (Erichson), or the 

 Coleopteres de France (Brevipennes) (Mulsant and Key) ; the last mentioned 

 authors remark upon and figure the thickening of the third joint of the antennae, 

 which is a further distinguishing mark of the male of this species. — E. Q-eoeg-e 

 Elliman, Chesham, Bucks: March l\th, 1898. 



A new way of pacTcing Coleoptera sent long distances. — To save damage to 

 specimens when sent long distances by post, or otherwise, careful packing is of course 

 always necessary, and the following method having been suggested to me, and found 

 to work well in practice, I think the description may be of use. The specimens are 

 placed unmounted in a tin, one on the other till it is full, and then melted best 

 paraffine wax poured in till it covers all the beetles. On receipt warm the tin till 

 the wax becomes fluid, drain the insects on blotting paper, and remove any of the 

 superfluous wax with a camel's hair pencil well moistened in spirit of chloroform. 

 Hairy specimens had better be soaked in ether instead of brushing with chloroform, 

 and dried in a draught. Whether the method of packing in wax would be applica- 

 ble to the tropics depends upon the sample employed, as the melting point varies 

 (I believe) from 110° to 145° Fahr.— T. A. Geeald Steickland, 28, Elm Park 

 Gardens, S.W. : February, 1898. 



[In reply to doubts expressed by us as to the feasibility of subjecting hairy 

 beetles to this method, Mr. Strickland has sent us a Cockchafer treated by it. The 

 result is fairly satisfactory, but the pilosity on the sternum is somewhat " laid." — 

 Eds.]. 



Oxycera dives, Loew, at Rannoch, and notes on the genus. — I was fortunate 

 enough to take a specimen of this large dark winged fly at Kannoch on June 18th, 

 1896. It has been seen by Mr. Austen, who thinks it is probably referable to this 

 species. Walker records a specimen in the collection of the Entomological Club, 

 but gives no locality. 



The species of Oxycera appear to fall naturally into four sections, thus— 



Females with yellow stripes on the thorax — rara, pardalina,formosa,&ic. 

 Females with yellow spots on the head — Morrissii, longicornis, &c. 



