X PREFACE. 



possession of Mr. Batson, of Horseheath, near Linton. Mr. Cordeaux 

 (Zool. 3277) gives the following brief notice of the occurrence of the 

 American mocking-bird {Turdus polyglottus) in Kent : " About the 

 19th of August, a fine specimen of this bird was killed on a farm near 

 Ashford." And lastly, the Rev. A. Matthews states (Zool. 3300) that 

 a bird which he supposes to be the yellow-backed Whidah finch, was 

 lately exposed for sale at an Oxford poulterer's, having been shot in 

 the month of September on Otmoor, in Oxfordshire. 



In the wider field of Entomology, we have as usual a greater num- 

 ber of observations, and the record of rarities is too extensive to be 

 repeated within the confined limits of a prefatory address : the novel- 

 ties, however, claiming individual notice are, first, Lepidoptera. The 

 Rev. Mr. Atkinson has taken a single specimen of Gastropacha Ilici- 

 folia, upon heather, on Cannoch Chace, in Staffordshire: the insect 

 has been sent to London for identification, and the fact has been an- 

 nounced by Mr. Smith, at a meeting of the Entomological Society : 

 since this, Mr. Stephens (Zool. 3244) has recorded the discovery, by 

 Mr. Green, of two larvae of the same insect near Sheffield. Mr. Bar- 

 ron (Zool. 3289) says that Trochilium Chrysidiforme has been found 

 near Haslar, in Hampshire. Mr. S. Stevens records (Zool. 3291) the 

 occurrence of Eupithecia ultimaria of Rambur, Boisduval, and Du- 

 ponchel, at Dover, in the middle of September. Mr. Stainton, at a 

 meeting of the Entomological Society (Zool. 3006), exhibited five new 

 species of British Micro-Lepidoptera : these he identified as the Co- 

 leophora partitella, C. Vulnerariae and C. lithargyrinella of Zeller, the 

 C. juncicolella of Stainton and the Elachista Treitschkeella of Fischer- 

 von-Rbslerstamm : and at a subsequent meeting (Zool. 3232) the same 

 indefatigable entomologist exhibited a specimen of Lithocolletis Ni- 

 cellii, together with the larvae and pupae of the same insect, in leaves 

 of hazel. Mr. Douglas also exhibited before the same Society a spe- 

 cimen of an apparently undescribed species of Coleophora, for which 

 he proposed the name of C. Inulae (Zool. 3239). 



In British Aculeate Hymenoptera, four species are described as 



