THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 871 



back. — S. T, C. ; High Ham, Longport, Somerset, July 

 20, 1871. 



My own invariable practice is to pin Hymenoptera, and to 

 set them with the wings expanded ; but I do not collect those 

 minute parasites of which Mr. Walker has described so many 

 species; these are invariably gummed on cards. Mr. Walker 

 brings them home alive in a phial, which has a piece of 

 blotting-paper, or some similar material, in it, to absorb the 

 moisture. Arrived at home the contents of the phial are shaken 

 over a basin of hot water, which instantly kills them, and 

 they float on the surface. 



Small Specimens of Vanessa Urticae. — I write to inform 

 you that I have bred specimens of V. Urticse from caterpillars, 

 which I obtained in Wales, measuring only l^Vbs and l-;i?-5-*^^ 

 inches respectively, from tip to tip of front wings. I bred some 

 twelve specimens, varying from l-/-g-ths to If ths,none exceeding 

 the latter. I write to ask you if it is not unusually small, as 

 I find, on referring, that the usual dimensions are 2 inches 

 and over. — Geo. W. Oldfield ; Shrewsbury, July 14, 1671. 



The size is much below the average: a very small race 

 exists in the Isle of Man, but not so small as these. Some 

 entomologists have considered this a species; others have 

 attributed the discrepancy to humidity of climate, insular 

 situation, dryness of season, unusual heat, prevalence of cold 

 east winds, &c. ; but this small Manx race of Urticae appears 

 to be constant, which would not be the ease were the size 

 dependent on these conditions of atmosphere. 



Chermes Ahietis, gall of the Spruce Jir. — I inclose a piece 

 of fir, in which there seems to be a large amount of some sort 

 of scale-insect; hundreds of the males have come out, but 

 there are still a few, I think, in the box ; the females seem to 

 be under the hard lump. Could you let me know what they 

 are? I noticed a great many on one tree. — E, A, Hall; 

 Southgate Hill, Winchester. 



The insects which form these curious and beautiful galls 

 are Chermes Abietis of Linneus. Kaltenbach thinks there are 

 two species, which he calls Chermes coccineus and C.viridis; 

 but entomologists are not agreed on this. I propose to return 

 to this interesting subject shortly, and to figure these galls. 



Grapia C-Album bred in July, — During the second and 

 third weeks of last month several larvee of Grapta C-Albura 



