﻿1869.] 31 



turity within the cocoon, as I could perceive no change whatever in 

 its hue from the time of extrusion until its death, which took place on 

 the 21st of October. None of its companions lived longer than eight 

 days after leaving the cocoon, but, as I did not know what to feed them 

 with, it is possible that, in their free state, these insects may have a 

 longer existence. 



Penge, S.E., 30th May, 1869. 



[I am rather inclined to think that the appearance of the perfect 

 saw-flies in October was exceptional, and that their development was 

 accelerated by the great heat of last season. This seems the more 

 probable because the willow being deciduous, any eggs laid in the leaves 

 late in the autumn would perish with them, before allowing time for 

 their hatching, or for the larvae becoming full-fed. 



I have come across a curious mistake in one of the old authors, 

 reminding one of the frequency with which the parasitic Callimome 

 has, of late, been mistaken for the long desiderated male of Cynips. 

 In Frisch's " Insecten Teutschlands " (1721), Theil 2, p. 22, is a chapter 

 on this Nematus — " Von der Schlupf-wespe in der Weiden-Knoden " — 

 in which the gall and habits of the larva3 are correctly described, but 

 the notice of the perfect insect refers to a parasitic ichneumon ; and on 

 Tab. iv, the gall is figured with male and female parasites instead of 

 saw-flies. Nearly a century and a-half has elapsed since Frisch wrote, 

 and still we find similar mistakes in vogue. — E. McLachlan.J 



Note on Tipula flavolineata and Otenophora atrata. — I found the larvee of Tipula 

 fiavolineata, Mg., last winter abundantly in rotten birch stumps, and more sparingly 

 in rotten beech and furze ; with them were several of Ctenophora atrata, L., which 

 I did not, however, distinguish at the time, this species has since occurred abun- 

 dantly at rotten alder stumps. I am indebted to Mr. Verrall for the names of these 

 insects, and for the information that a light variety of the male of atrata equally 

 common with the black form appears to be the insect described as Otenophora 

 fuciformis, M. The Ctenophora} emeige from the pupae in the burrows in the wood 

 in which the pupae lie, the perfect insect afterwards making their way out. The 

 Tipulce pupee, which can run rapidly up and down their burrows, on the other hand 

 come out of the wood as the Sesiidoe do, or as the ground-living Tipula come out 

 of the earth, retaining a support by two or three terminal segments. With only 

 one or two exceptions, they emerged between 7 and 9 p.m., and on several occa= 

 sions I had the pleasure of observing the process. The pupa-case bursts over the 

 back of the thorax and the thorax of the imago rapidly emerges. The head with 

 the antennae and palpi are folded down in front, but rapidly assume their natural 

 position. The basal portions of the legs and wings soon appear. The expansion 

 of" the wings looks as if it resulted from their being dragged out between the insect' t-' 



