1888.1 211 



In P. salicis there is an obscure fovea at the base, so tbat this 

 character cannot be said to be a valid one. Our three species may be 

 defined as follows : — • 



1 (4) Body rufo-tcstaoeous ; second abscissa of radius twice the length of first. 



2 (3) Antennse entirely rufo-testaceous xanthoc]iroa,'Fbv.,=^ rufa,Tl\\ovaB. 



3 (2) „ fuscous, testaceous at base forticornis,G&va. 



4i (1) Body black ; second abscissa of radius not twice the length of the first... 



salicis, Cam. 



The European species of parasitic Ci/nipidce, especially the 

 Alhtrina and Eucoilina stand very much indeed in need of revision, 

 no work on the latter two groups having appeared since the publication 

 of Thomson's Monograph of the Swedish species, now over a quarter 

 of a century ago, beyond a few stray descriptions. There is great 

 diiSculty in obtaining specimens, and thus it is no easy matter to get 

 material for a thorough revision of the European species. Being at 

 present occupied with parasitic Cynipidce, I shall be exceedingly 

 obliged for the loan of any specimens from any part of the g'obe, 

 but especially from Europe. 



Sale, Cheshire : 



December 13th 1887. 



Lepidoptera at Armagh in 1887. — Although I devote most of my spare time to 

 the Coleoptera, I pick up occasionally a few Lepidoptera, and, during the past year, 

 made one or two good captures, at least from an Irish point of view. On January 

 14th a fine specimen of Gonoptera lihatrix was brought to me by one of my pupils 

 who had caught it in his bedroom. Pupse dug in the autumn of 1886 pi-oduced 

 Tceniocampa stahilis, T. instahilis, T. gothica, Hadena thalassina, Phigalia pedaria, 

 'Fh.,=pilosaria, lib., D. L., &c. Vanessa urticce first showed itself on March 26th. 

 The " Whites " were not very plentiful in the early part of the year, but their larvse 

 made fearful havoc among the cabbages. However, the ichneumons were not idle, 

 and I have seldom noticed so many of Iheir little golden clusters of pupsse. In July 

 I was astonished at seeing a specimen of Argynnis Paphia close to the town, a 

 species I had never observed here before. I was unsuccessful in my endeavourB 

 to take it, but on August 8th I took two specimens at Benburb, on the borders of 

 County Tyrone. Vanessa Atalavta also made its appearance in September, and I 

 captured a very fine specimen, the only one I have ever taken here, though I have seen 

 them occasionally. V. cardui, which generally visits us, did not show at all, much 

 to my astonishment. Lyccsna Icarus was unusually abundant and in fine condition. 

 At Churchill, on July 2nd, I took a good number of Ccenonympha Typhon,=I)avus, 

 which Mr. Kane informs me has not been recorded from Ulster before, and is of the 

 intermediate type between Davtts, Fab., and the v. Philoxenus, of Yorkshire. At 

 the same place I captured Bomhyx quercus, Odonestis potatoria, Nemeopihila 

 plantaginis, Strenia clathrata, Emaiurga atomaria, Aspilates strigillaria, and 

 Selidosema pJiit7iaria,=ericetaria. Of this last I took quite a large series on a heathy 



S 2 



