1890.] 161 



humerosus, Choleva anisotomoides, Calathus cisteloides, and sereral Harpali, by 

 general searching ; Rhizophagus depressus, Hylastes paUiatus and ater under bark 

 on felled pines ; Omosita discoidea, Mycetophagus atomarius, Cicones variegatus (4) 

 from old stumps. It would be hard to say whether C. variegatus was actually in 

 the stumps or in a black dry fungus with which some of the stumps were clothed. 

 I found the specimens in the debris, and only where the black fungus was mixed 

 with it. Atemeles emarginatus, two specimens with ants, five specimens of Trox 

 soaber from an old dry woollen rag ; a colony of water beetles in a small water 

 feeding-tank yielded only Hydroporus memnonius, S. Uturatus, and Helophorus 

 granularls. The only really abundant species were the very common Orchestes fagi 

 and Myrmedonia canalicidata. — T. H. Hall, 12, Derby Road, Watford : 3/«y, 1890. 



Early abtindance of Philopotamus montanus. — Easter, this year, April 3rd to 

 8th, I spent at Penmaenmawr, in North Wales. On the morning of April 4th, I 

 worked along the mountain stream leading up to the Fairy Grlen, with a view to 

 ascertaining whether any Trichoptera, &c., were yet out. A few minutes on the 

 stream sufficed to show that specimens, if not species, were plentiful, for Philopo- 

 tamus montanus was spinning about in abundance in the sun, as actively as if it were 

 midsummer ; and when the sun was overcast, half a dozen or so might have been 

 boxed off a single boulder. Being thus plentiful at so early a date, there is little 

 doubt that this year a series of this species might easily have been taken, even before 

 the month of March went out, as the weather had been fine and warm for some 

 days previous to my visit. Nemoura Meyeri and N. lateralis were also common on 

 the stream ; and I picked one specimen of Dictyopteryx microcephala off a stone. 

 Next day, the Stli, the stream from Aber up to the " Falls " was worked, but only 

 the same species, omitting D. microcephala, occurred ; and here P. montanus was 

 not nearly so common either on the wing or on stones as on the other stream ; the 

 water being much more overhung with trees, thus keeping off the sun, probably 

 accounted for this, as away from the stream the sun was very powerful, even more 

 so than on the previous day. On the 7th, mountains only were worked, and in this 

 group of insects only two specimens of Stenophylax concentricus were taken : the 

 first in the daytime, close to the top of a very high peak, and tlie wind at the time 

 was blowing a perfect gale ; the other was found at night on a furze flower, on 

 another mountain, and at a much lower altitude. — Geo. T. Poeeitt, Huddersfield : 

 May Uh, 1890. 



Notes on PulicidcB. — CeratophyUus talpce. Curt. : on September 4th, I captured 

 in a field-mouse's nest a specimen of this large flea. It was well figured by Curtis in 

 his " British Entomology," in 1826. Mr. Verrall has included it in his list as Hystri- 

 chopsylla obtusiceps, Ritsema. It is quite certain that talpce is a misnomer, as it is 

 not found on the mole ; but how about the law of priority, and, again, other species 

 of insects are named after plants on which the larvae do not feed ? Pulex gallincB, 

 Bouche : this, I believe, to be identical with a species from Ceylon, named by Prof. 

 Westwood, in the Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. xi, p. 246, as Sarcopsyllus gallinaceus. It 

 infests the domestic fowl, and various other birds, as the robin, thrush, creeper, &c. 

 It differs greatly fi-om the common flea by the length of the antennae, and is of a 



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