230 (March, 
were secured, and one of Pselaphus dresdensis. Gymnetron villosulum was frequent 
on Veronica Anagallis. Larinus ebeneus, Pachyrhinus 4-nodosus, Donacia affinis, 
and Graptodera lythri were obtained in a marsh. At Figheldean on the Avon, 
I found Aphodius arenarius, Rhinoncus inconspectus, Cionus verbasci, and Phyllotreta 
ochripes and brassicw ; and in Marlborough Forest, Silvanus wnidentatus, Ademonia 
crateegi and Anthrenus varius.—Ropert Hisnor, Blair Bank, Falkirk, December 
28th, 1870. 
Dryops femorata near Bristol.—This beetle occurs rather freely at Leigh. L 
meet with it nearly every year at ivy and sallow-bloom, as well as at “sugar.” 
Should any readers of the Ent. Mo. Mag. want the species, I have no doubt I 
shall be able to supply them next April.—A. EH. Hupp, Stapleton Road, Bristol, 
10th January, 1871. 
On the reniform “inner” gall of Andricus curvator, Hartig—At pg. 39 of the 
present volume, I alluded to the “ kidney-shaped” gall of this species. 
At pg. 157, at the desire of Mr. Kidd, I called the same object the “ kidney- 
gall.” 
At pg. 210, Mr. Kidd informs me, that the former term is an error of my own, 
that “the gall is not kidney-shaped, but the case it contains being reniform, 
“‘ suegested to him the name of kidney-gall.” 
I hasten to inform Mr. Kidd that, in my opinion, “ reniform case,” ‘ kidney- 
shaped gall,” and “kidney gall,” are terms of precisely the same meaning, if applied 
to the object under consideration, because this gentleman’s “ reniform case ” is the 
true gall of the insect, for the following reasons: —it adheres by contact only to 
the green outer shell; in it (7. e., the case) the Jarva is born, on its juices it feeds, 
within its circuit the insect passes its whole metamorphosis, and the first operation 
of the mature insect, on leaving the pupal skin, is to pierce the wall of the case, 
exactly like that of any other gall, 4. e., in the shape of a round hole. 
The true function of this reniform case is so well understood, that the Germans 
have long ago coined a special term for it, viz., “inner gall,” in contradistinction to 
the outer shell. The latter plays a very subordinate part in the ceconomy of the 
insect, which only passes through it once when arriving at the mature state. 
I trust I have now shown satisfactorily, that, after handling galls almost daily 
for many years past, I have not committed the error of calling one “ reniform,” 
when it is not so ; and, although I have no particular fancy for popular names of galls 
when introduced by the learned, yet I am ready to agree with Mr. Kidd that they 
are a great convenience in the absence of a knowledge of the insects.—ALBERT 
Mutter, South Norwood, 8.E., January 2nd, 1871. 
What aid does the form of the Lepidopterous egg afford towards determining the 
position of certain species ?—Lepidopterologists are not, as a rule, guilty of laying 
too much stress upon little things; indeed, it may be said with truth, that they 
have altogether neglected to avail themselves of almost any characters but those 
afforded by “colour of wings, streaks, spots, &c.’ It thus happens, I suppose, 
that, till within a very recent period, no attempt has been made to turn to account 
the characters presented by the form of the eggs, and these beautiful objects have 
