﻿60 [August, 



Eros affinis bred. — After considerable trouble, I have succeeded in breeding 

 Eros affinis, from small larvae obtained at Killarney in 1866 ; and I have also bred 

 it from Sherwood Forest larvae, found last year. The larva resembles that of E. 

 Aurora. I have also bred Tiresias serra from Sherwood. — J. Kay Hardy, 118, 

 Embden Street, Hulme, Manchester, July, 1869. 



Note on Saperda scalaris and other Coleoptera at Sherwood Forest. — In June 

 last I spent a fortnight at Sherwood, where, amongst other things, I found a single 

 $ example of Saperda scalaris by beating an oak. I also brought home six pupae, 

 found in company under oak bark, one of which did not come to maturity, two 

 turned out a fine pair of S. scalaris, and the remaining htree were Phymatodes 

 variabilis. From another pupa, found under rotten birch, I bred Phlceotrya 

 Stephensii. In the Forest, at large, I found a few Conopalpus testaceus and var. 

 Vigorsii ; also Cistela ceramboides, Eryx atra, Leptura scutellata, &c. As far as I 

 know, the oak is an unrecorded pabulum for 8. scalaris.. — J. Kidson Taylor, Thorn 

 Cottage, Longsight, Lime Grove, Manchester, July, 1868. 



"Fireflies in Kent." — Under this heading, in "The Times," of 17th inst., 

 " A.A." records the capture, at Ashford, of a luminous specimen of Lampyris 

 italica, and particularly calls attention to its soft yellow light, so different to the 

 cold blue gleam of the English Glow-worm. It is to be hoped that some further 

 evidence will be forthcoming as to the identity of the species in question ; though, 

 after the occurrence of Fhosplicenus at Lewes, it will not be safe to treat the above 

 record as a light matter. — Eds.* 



Trichius fasciatus in South Wales- — It may be of interest to some of your 

 readers to know that I have turned up this species in considerable numbers. I 

 shall be glad to return specimens to anyone sending a box with return postage. It 

 flies rapidly and deftly in the sunshine, hawking from flower to flower with con- 

 siderable power of wing, and reminding one somewhat of Sesia bombyliformis, 

 though without the wild " abandon" in its flght which characterizes that captain 

 of rovers. 



My gardener, Robert Stafford, found it very locally confined to some marshy 

 glades in a wood near my house, where the trees have been cut, and the under- 

 growth is some two years old, and where thistle-blossom and Veronica offer it a 

 profusion of flowery attractions. Once settled on a blossom, it may be taken easily 

 with the fingers, but has the power, when annoyed, of emitting a pungent though 

 inoffensive smell. 



Two examples, out of 150 recently taken, have the shoulder spot stopping 

 short of the suture, thereby simulating the rarer T. abdominalis ; and it is to such 

 a variety of fasciatus that the single specimen mentioned by me years ago in the 

 "Intelligencer" must be referred. — John T. D. L lew llyn, Ynisygerwn, Neath; 

 June 21st, 1869. 



• Since the above was in type, we observe in the same Journal, 20th inst., a record of the capture 

 of tropical fire-flies at Caterham ; <J L. noctiluca is probably the cause of both these notices, though a 

 third writer suggests that the Ashford fire-flies may be some he brought from Coblentz and turned out 

 at Doyer ! - Eds. 



