﻿8 [June) 



laid is small ; a dozen on either side would be above the average, though I have 

 seen more. The larvae burrow upwards and downwards. Many of the beetles 

 assume the perfect state in autumn, and either continue the larval burrow until 

 spring, after the manner of rhododactylus, or, escaping, make a fresh longitudinal 

 burrow in a higher portion of the same stick in which they hybernate, apparently 

 eating a little all the winter. I was much puzzled by finding, during the winter, 

 one or more beetles in longitudinal burrows branching from parent galleries, of 

 which the young brood were already for the most part perfect. I believe these 

 were beetles of the young brood which had used the openings of the old galleries 

 to enter the bark, just as they instinctively go to the bottom of a crevice to begin 

 burrowing. Some assume the perfect state during the winter, and not a small 

 proportion pass the winter as larvae ; even now (May 14th) I have some still in the 

 larval state. The period of oviposition is rather later than in rhododactylus, and 

 occupies nearly a month. 



The full-grown larvae of Scolytus almost invariably burrow into the wood to 

 form a hybernaculum ; I have frequently noticed a similar habit in rhododactylus, 

 and more rarely in obscurus ; and, as throwing light on the use of this habit, I may 

 note that in furze they rarely do so, but that those passing the winter as larvae in 

 broom almost invariably do, the bark of broom being thinner, and when mined by 

 these beetles much more easily separated, a mere touch removing it when soaked 

 with rain. 



Obscurus, under the name of trifolii, is said to occur in the roots of clover, 

 which is its recognised habitat ; and as clover belongs to the same natural order as 

 furze and broom, it seems by no means unlikely that it would eat clover in default 

 of them, but I am inclined to doubt its ovipositing in them. 



These beetles seem very free from parasites, a predaceous-looking larva, with a 

 double-hooked tail (very like a miniature Pyrochroa larva), and from which I have 

 bred Rhinosimus planirostris, is the only one I have found. It is more abundant 

 in old burrows than in those still containing larvae ; so that, if it is carnivorous, 

 and is not satisfied with the damp frass, it probably eats Acari, a Thrips which is 

 common in old burrows, and other such creatures, more frequently than the larvae 

 of Phlosophthorus or H. obscurus. — T. Algernon Chapman, M.D., Abergavenny, 

 May, 1869. 



Note on Argyra leucocephala. — Mr. Scott told me lately of an interesting habit 

 he has observed in this Dipteron. He met with it in considerable abundance near 

 Morpeth, and says it resembled snow falling and melting immediately it touched 

 the ground ; for, when on the wing, the silvery gloss on the body appeared white, 

 but, when the insect settled, the closed wings at once obscured it. This is probably 

 an instance of an obscure colour protecting an insect when at rest, like the brown 

 underside of the common $ " ghost " moth. — G. H. Vekrall, London, April, 1869. 



Queries respecting a few willow galls. — Thanks to a botanical friend, I shall be 

 enabled to give all my willow galls, except a few, their true botanical position in 

 the descriptive list of galls upon which Mr. Muller and myself are now engaged for 

 this Magazine. I therefore take the liberty of making a few remarks on these 

 galls, but before I commence so doing, I may observe that my collection is indebted 



