THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [j ANUARY 



NOTES. 



MOLLUSCA. 



Ianthina Rotundata, Leach. — I had always heard that the north 

 coast of Ireland was a good locality for the "Blue Snail" or 

 Ianthina, but hardly expected to have the good luck to get it on 

 my first visit to that district. However, the prevalence of north 

 winds during my stay (in August, 1893) was promising, as likely to 

 drive these pelagic animals shorewards, and one morning the first 

 Ianthinas put in an appearance at Port Ballintrae, county Antrim. 

 Most conchologists are well acquainted with these lovely shells, but it is 

 probably seldom that anyone has a chance of seeing the living creature 

 with its curious float, which looks exactly like a mass of small soap bubbles. 

 The frontispiece of Jeffrey's 4th vol. ("Brit. Conch.") gives a very 

 good representation on the whole, though the colour of the animal should 

 be more violet than red. For a few days they turned up regularly all 

 along the Antrim coast (and probably elsewhere), being difficult to 

 procure perfect on account of the rocky shores, but vanished with a 

 change of wind. They vary a good deal in the height of the spire : one 

 very fine specimen measures almost exactly \\ inches each way, while 

 another of about the same breadth has a length of only iin. 

 The copious purple dye which they exude thoroughly stains the hands, 

 and is difficult to get out. A few dead shells of Spirula occurred at the 

 same time, but this has never been found on our shores alive. The 

 shells of Ianthina were frequently overgrown with a species of barnacle 

 (Lepas). — Brockton Tomlin, Llandaff. 



INSECTA. 



DictenidiaBimaculata — This daddy cannot be calledlong-legs,like those 

 of the genus Tipula. I was very fortunate last May (15th) in taking a female, 

 apparently just out of the pupa, walking up the trunk of a lime tree. I cap- 

 tured a male several years previously, but the date and locality I did not 

 record; the female, however, was taken close to Shaugh Bridge, Bickleigh 

 side. This conspicuous fly appears to be very scarce. Mr. Verrall, in the 

 E. M. M. for July, 1888, says : — " I can give as localities Worcester and 

 Guestling." The male may be distinguished by the antennae, which are 

 pectinated only on the inner side, and are a trifle longer than the thorax ; 

 the third joint with a small projecting tooth on the under side ; the joints 

 from the fourth upwards with two comb-like projections (teeth of comb) 

 on the inside of each joint ; the one at the base is longer than the next on 



