6732 Arachnida — Insects. 



Spider and Wasp.— In the autumn of 1858, Dr. Howard, of Sandgate, wishing 

 to observe what a large Diadem (or garden spider) would do if a wasp were put into 

 his web, took one by the wings and entangled it by the feet. The spider immediately 

 made a rush at it, when it turned and transfixed the spider in the belly with its sting. 

 On this, the unhappy spider doubling up, fell from his web dead upon the ground, and 

 the wasp, getting up, flew away. Dr. Howard thought that the spider had been 

 merely paralyzed or was shamming dead, so kept him until the next morning, but he 

 never revived, and showed clearly how deadly the venom of the wasp must have 

 been. — Charles Home; Sandgate, September 2, 1859. 



Occurrence at Brighton of Lycarna bce.tica, a Butterfly new to Britain. — I 

 am indebted to Mr. Thomas Thorncroft, of 87, North Lane, Brighton, for the 

 information that a new butterfly was taken near the chalk downs, on the 5th of 

 August last. My son being at Brighton at the time had an opportunity of 

 seeing it, and Mr. Doubleday has since determined the species. The fortunate 

 captor is Mr. McArlhur, of Brighton. The species is common on the Continent, 

 and, simultaneously with its appearance at Brighton, was seen in profusion along the 

 northern coast of France and in the Channel Islands, so that its occurrence here does 

 not appear extraordinary; nevertheless, it can only be regarded, like Pieris Dap- 

 lidice and Chaerocampa Nerii, a purely casual visitor, and, like those, it should be 

 kept perfectly distinct from our truly indigenous insects. It is a dull brownish 

 insect, above and below has waved markings, rather like those of a Thecla than the 

 spotted appearance of a Lyeaena. Each of the hind wings has a short but very dis- 

 tinct tail, and near the hind margin of each hind wing are two small, but very distinct, 

 rounded red spots. — Edward Newman. 



Captures of Varieties of Colias Edusa at Brighton. — Since the 12th of this 

 month, Mr. George Smith, of No. 33, Marlborough Street, Brighton, and myself, 

 have captured nine very fine specimens of the light variety of Colias Edusi and two 

 of the small variety called Colias Chrysothemene. — John Meiklam ; 97, Kiny's Road, 

 Brighton, August 19, 1859. 



Colias Edusa and Sphinx Convolvuli. — The accounts of captures of these insects 

 are too numerous to insert; their appearance has been general. — E. N. 



Capture of Sesia Chrysidiformis near Folkstone. — I captured in the middle of last 

 July, on the Undercliff between Dover and Folkstone, a beautiful specimen of Sesia 

 Chrysidiformis. This was captured near the same place in 1855, according to the 

 4 Entomologist's Annual ' for 1856. Mr. Haworth had only seen a single specimen, 

 and this of Mr. Wratislaw's makes the sixth known or asserted to have been 

 captured in Britain. — A. H. Wratislaw ; School Hall, Bury St. Edmund's, 

 August 8, 1859. 



[This insect was formerly rare, but has lately been proved to be only local : about 

 thirty specimens have been taken this year and as many last, at the spot mentioned by 

 the Rev. Mr. Wratislaw.— Ed."} 



Description of the Larva of Limacodes Testudo. — Formed like a wood-lonse ; the 

 upper or exposed portion being an oval-arched carapace resembling that of a tortoise, 

 or perhaps still more closely the segmentally-divided carapace of a Chiton ; this 



