310 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



seem to be ready on the spot to fasten on the seed-leaves, 

 and thus devour the plants before they have any time to 

 acquire size and strength to resist the attack. It is probable 

 that much rain in the spring would greatly retard the progress 

 of the beetle ; but, then, no farmer desires a wet spring. I 

 have not, of course, worked out the life-history of this little 

 pest, as I have done that of its congener the turnip-fly 

 or turnip-flea ; but I do not doubt the larvae will be found 

 abundantly on the older plants in June ; but as yet it is 

 unknown. In the meantime I will invite attention to this 

 little beetle by describing its colours: — The antennae 

 are dull-red, slightly darker towards the extremity ; the 

 head is red, and the eyes black ; the thorax is exactly 

 of the same red colour as the head, and so are the legs; 

 but the body is nearly black, and the wing-cases are 

 dark metallic-green and brilliantly polished. This beetle 

 is the Chrysomela fuscicornis of Linneus, described at 

 p. 595 of the second volume of the ' Systema Naturae' 

 (thirteenth edition), and the Haltica fuscicornis of Stephens. 

 The Linnean name of fuscicornis must be adopted, although 

 the beetle has become better known under De Geer's name of 

 rufipes, which has been adopted by Panzer on the Continent, 

 and by Marshall, Donovan and Samouelle in this country. 



Labia minor Jiying, — 1. At five o'clock this afternoon I 

 noticed something which may interest you. Whilst I was in 

 our small garden I saw, what I imagined to be, a Tinea fly 

 up from a lavender bush and raise itself about three feet in 

 the air. I immediately stepped after it: it continued its flight 

 at about the same height for about twelve or fifteen feet, when. 

 I knocked it down with my open hand into the path, and I 

 was surprised to find it not a moth at all, but what 1 take to 

 be an earwig. I send you the specimen to examine, and say 

 whether I am right. 2. I should be glad if you would give 

 me the title of any good work on Diptera and Hymenoptera. 

 — Frederick Enoch ; 48, Tollington Road, Holloway, May 

 5, 1871. 



[1. The little insect is Labia minor: it is well known 

 as a Jiying insect ; it is allied to the common earwig, 

 but is not identical. 2. Walker's * Insecta Britannica, Dip- 

 tera,' in three volumes, with descriptions of the species and 

 figures of the genera, is the only work with which I am 



