286 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Leucania straminea. — In Buckler's work on ' The LarvaB of British 

 Butterflies and Moths ' it is stated, with reference to the larvae of this 

 species, that a large proportion of them are generally ichneumoned. 

 I cannot quote the exact words, as I have not the volume with me. 

 But in June last I took sixty-four of the larvae, which in due course 

 spun up and changed to pupae. Before leaving home to take part in 

 the naval manoeuvres, I had to cut the cocoons off the muslin and from 

 the reed stems upon which they had spun up, and I only found two of 

 them ichneumoned. These I sent to my friend Bignell, and the 

 others, with the exception of two sent to another friend, I brought on 

 board with me, and from these I bred fifty-eight perfect insects and 

 two cripples. From this it would appear that the species, at any rate 

 in the neighbourhood of Dovercourt, where the larv^ were taken, is 

 singularly free from the attacks of parasites, and, moreover, is not a 

 very delicate one, as some of the cocoons were rather roughly handled, 

 and all had a deal of shaking about. May I here take the opportunity 

 of informing many friends and correspondents that I have just been 

 appointed to H.M.S. ' Hawke ' on the Mediterranean station, and in 

 consequence shall not be able to carry into effect many of the promises 

 I made last season with respect to exchanges this. I am very sorry, 

 and hope to be forgiven, but it cannot be helped. — Gervase F. 

 Mathew; H.M.S. 'Apollo,' Bheerness, August 7th, 1896. 



Enemies of Humble Bees. — I was much interested in Mr. W. W. 

 Smith's note in the July number of the ' Entomologist ' on the 

 enemies of humble bees in New Zealand [ante^ p. 210). Years ago, on 

 the prairies of Illinois, I used frequently to see Bombus vagans, Smith, 

 and B virginicus, Oliv., captured and killed by one, and I think two 

 species of Asilus, but am at present unable to give the specific names 

 of these. Doubtless Bombus pennsylv aniens, DeG., which is also 

 common on these prairies, though a larger species, often meets the 

 same fate. The flies pounce on their prey, and at the same instant 

 thrust their stout beak into their victim. If the head of the bee is 

 deeply immersed in a flower, the abdomen is punctured, but if the bee 

 happens to be nearly or quite exposed, and especially if occupied with 

 small blossoms situated on a vertical stalk, the thorax is pierced. In 

 any case, the attack is followed so quickly by the thrust that the 

 victim appears to die almost without a struggle, the captor generally 

 sucking its juices before flying away. The Asilus are rather fearless, 

 and with caution one may watch them in exposed situations engaged 

 in their murderous work. — F. M. Webster; Ohio Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station, Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio, U.S.A., July 

 24th, 1896. 



Collector v. Entomologist. — Some little time ago I noticed in the 

 magazine some remarks which seemed to imply that no one was worthy 

 of the name of entomologist who did not make his collecting entirely 

 subservient to the elucidating of scientific problems. This seems to 

 me somewhat rough upon the ordinary collector. It is not everyone 

 who has the necessary aptitude or training for investigating the 

 questions with which science deals, nor have many people the leisure 

 for this purpose ; but surely everyone can admire a beautiful object 



