THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
135 
darker than those fed upon the mug- 
wort. 
Denotata. I have never bred this spe- 
cies ; it is not scarce at Llanferras and 
other similar districts all through Wales, 
sitting upon limestone rocks during the 
day, but does not seem to fly much. I 
have seen injured specimens in the same 
place for several days consecutively. 
C. S. Gregson. 
Fletcher Grove, Stanley, 
near Liverpool ; July \ . 
SEASONABLE NOTES. 
Lepidoptera. 
Laverna Stepkensi is now waiting to 
be caught on the trunks of very old oaks, 
but they require to be hunted for. They 
will sit still enough as long as they are 
only looked at, but they very cleverly 
evade a pill-box, when brought near them, 
by springing into the air, and then they 
make themselves scarce. This is the 
way they do if the weather be calm ; if 
the wind blows they are not so mad, and 
feel as if they were under restraint, 
although always sitting at ease on the 
lee-side of the trees ; they are then more 
easily taken, though I own it is difficult 
to induce such of them as lie perdu at 
the bottom of a chink to avail themselves 
of the proffered hospitality of a pill-box. 
I have an idea that the larvae of this 
species are engaged on secret service (as 
usual for their own benefit only) in the 
old bark or wood of the oaks. 
CEcophora lunaris, another of the di- 
plomatic school, inasmuch as they keep 
themselves very much in the dark during 
their early life, is also to be seen in com- 
pany with L. Stephensi, but not in any 
quantity ; perhaps it may be against the 
family rules to show themselves much. 
On the aspen or white poplar (perhaps 
I should say and instead of “ or”) Gele- 
chia nigra now appears, not singly but in 
companies. About an hour before dusk 
they run briskly from the crevices, where 
they lay previously, to other hiding-places 
on the trunk, moving with a shambling 
gait, after taking flight to the branches 
above. But if the wind blows they move 
little of their own accord, and are not 
easily induced to display their charms ; 
and when they do stir they fly off at 
once — it will be your fault if not into 
your net. Zeller’s name, cautella, signi- 
fying wary, active, is so applicable to this 
species that it is a pity it is superseded 
by Haworth’s older but inexpressive 
name ; the rule of priority, however, 
must be held inviolate. — J. VV. Douglas, 
Lee ; July 15. 
ANTS’ NESTS AND THE BEETLES 
THEREIN. 
COMMUNICATED BY THE WIZARD OF THE 
NORTH. 
Bishop’s Square, London, 
May 20, 1999. 
My dear Johnson, — I have just re- 
ceived your kind letter, and am sorry to 
say it proves entirely confirmatory of the 
statements in my communication of April 
the 1st. 
Many thanks for your kind intention 
of tilling up a gap in my collection of 
Fonnicidae, by sending me eight supposed 
specimens of the wood ant : three of those 
which you suppose to be the females 
are Ichneumons, belonging to the genus 
Pezomachus, the other is a Dicondylus ; 
the four which you call the workers are 
Acari. These errors must be expected 
to occur with, and are pardonable in, 
novices. 
Since I last wrote to you I have had 
the good fortune to pick up a copy of 
Smith’s ‘ Monograph of the Formicidae 
and Fossores.’ I will lend it to you with 
great pleasure. If you study it, you 
