1890.] 247 



isolated, and we hope the severe and energetic action taken by the Council will 

 prevent its spread. In the meantime strict orders have been issvied that no vine 

 cuttings are to be distributed from Chiswick until the authorities are thoroughly 

 satisfied that the pest has been exterminated. Some eight or ten years ago a very 

 important vinery only a mile or two from Chiswick was found to be terribly infested ; 

 measures similar to those above mentioned were resorted to, new vines were planted, 

 and, so far as we can learn, are now perfectly healthy and in full bearing. — Eds. 



Aepophilus Bonnairii. — I have been on the look out for this insect ever since 

 my last capture on December 4th, 18S7 {cf. Ent. Mo. Mag., xxiv, p. 174.), and have 

 scoured the place right and left in the hope of obtaining it, but without avail until 

 the 10th inst., when I luckily found one under circumstances similar to my former 

 capture {i. e., on the under-side of a stone at low water), and within a few feet of 

 the spot in which that one was taken. I have not killed the little creature yet, nor 

 do I think I shall for a day or two, until the hope of further specimens turning up 

 disappears. I was on the habitat again yesterday, but had no success. I brought 

 home a submarine worm, however, which I chopped up and gave to it, and had the 

 satisfaction this morning of observing the bug in close proximity, rubbing or cleansing 

 its proboscis with great gusto, suggesting the idea that it had just enjoyed its 

 morning meal. I had intended to rig up a small aquarium and watch the insect's 

 movements therein ; happily, the notion occurred to me to try whether or not it 

 could swim before I did so. Accordingly, I put our little friend into about a quarter 

 of a wineglass of sea water (with which I had provided myself at the time of cap- 

 ture), when lo, it sprawled about in an utterly helpless manner ; indeed, its motions 

 were similar to those of a drowning fly. I removed it from the water, and it proved 

 (although it had been in the glass but a few seconds), to be in a most piteous plight ; 

 its antennae and proboscis were in close adherence, and caused the insect considera- 

 ble effort to liberate them, and its pubescence was completely wetted. This result 

 rather astonished me. I have repeated the experiment with like result. I also 

 observed that it did not attempt to walk when carefully placed on the surface of the 

 water ; it was motionless. I gently stirred the water, but it was content to be 

 carried around without attempting any motion on its own account ; I then popped 

 it under the water, and it would, I think, quickly have been drowned had not it 

 been removed. ^James H. Keys, 9, Addison Road, Sherwell Estate, Plymouth : 

 August \2th, 1890. 



Melanic variety of Zygcena filipendidce. — On the 15th ulto., whilst collecting 



Gladiolus illyricus near Ehinefield in the New Forest, Mr. George Bryant, who 



accompanied me, called my attention to a Zygcena crawling up a stem of grass. It 



proved to be an interesting variety of Zygcena filipendulcB. The fore-wings are of the 



usual bluish-green colour, but the six spots are all black instead of crimson ; the 



hind-wings are black instead of crimson, with the usual bluish-black border. It is 



remarkable that this variety of Zygcena filipendidce was the only representative of 



the species, or the genus, which I saw during the whole of my stay in the Forest, 



which lasted from the 14th to the 28th of July. — H. Goss, Surbiton Hill, Surrey : 



August, 1S90. 



Y 2 



