THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
60 
proved barren. — H. Tompkins, 90, 
Guildford Street , Russell Square ; May 
] I, 1857. 
Nubeeulosa and the Little Birds . — 
Having seen a treatise on tliis subject 
by one who signs himself “ A Lover of 
Novelty,” I am induced to state some- 
thing on this novel point. After the in- 
sects had been out some days, Mr. F. 
said, “ Why I have not seen any of my 
little birds yet ; ” but soon after this he 
exclaimed, “ Oh ! here they are, look 
out!” and there indeed they were, as 
nimble little fellows as possible, prying 
along every branch (they are the Cole 
Tit, Parus Ater), but they never so far 
favoured me as to find me a Nubeeulosa. 
On two or three occasions I have found 
them with moths, but they seemed to act 
upon the maxim of “ Safe bind safe 
find,” for I could never make them part 
with their captures. I once found one 
with a Flavicornis ; at another time one 
had Pilosaria : I found this out by their 
dropping the wings ; but how they would 
have acted with Nubeeulosa of course I 
cannot tell, never having seen them with 
one. “A Lover of Novelty” talks of 
training field shrew mice, or shrewd 
mice, it should have been : this would 
indeed be a novel thing, and I hope he 
has some in training. — H. J. Harding, 
Kinloch Rannoch, Perthshire ; May 12, 
1857. 
Notodonta Ziczac. — If any of your 
readers would like to breed this insect to 
test the double-brooded theory, or for 
specimens, I shall have pleasure in send- 
ing them fertilized eggs. Of course im- 
mediate application is necessary, or the 
young larvae will be out before they reach 
their destination. I have some already 
feeding, and also batches of eggs which 
will hatch about the 27th inst. — G eorge 
Gascoyne, Neivark, Notts ; May 18, 
1857. 
COLEOI’XERA. 
liostrichus bispinus. — Following up 
the indication of its habitat given by 
Mr. Janson in the ‘ Entomologist’s An- 
nual’ for 1856, I have succeeded in ob- 
taining half-a-dozen specimens of this 
beetle from the dead stems of Clematis 
vitalha, at Plumstead Wood. The larva 
makes long galleries, which become filled 
with rejectamenta, immediately under 
the bark : the perfect insects I found, in 
almost every instance, close to the joints 
of the stem. I hope to get more ex- 
amples, when I can repeat my visit. — 
J. W. Douglas, Lee; May 16, 1857. 
Hunting for Myrmecophilous Coleop- 
tera. — I am glad to find that Mr. Jan- 
son’s excellent and interesting paper on 
ant’s-nest beetles has attracted such 
general attention to these interesting in- 
sects. I have received so many commu- 
nications touching the species of ants, 
that to save myself trouble, and at the 
same time to render the most effectual 
assistance in my power, I intend to set 
up a few sets of those species which ap- 
pear to puzzle my correspondents. To 
the next meeting of the Entomological 
Society I will take sets for general distri- 
bution. From one gentleman 1 have re- 
ceived Formica rufa with a query, “ Is 
this Myrmica rubra P ” and another, “ Is 
this ( M. rubra) Formica fluvap" The 
best answer, I fancy, will be a distribu- 
tion of specimens. Gentlemen not pre- 
sent at the meeting will oblige me by 
sending small boxes, so that I may for- 
ward them by post. One word on col- 
lecting : — refer to Mr. Janson’s paper, 
page 89, and adopt the method so clearly 
pointed out, and do not ruthlessly de- 
stroy, not only the nests, but all cliauce 
of success to yourself, and others also. 
I saw, the other day, such a merciless 
destruction of one of the finest localities 
for ant’s-nest beetles, that I feel 1 cannot 
too strongly condemn such useless and 
reckless forays. 1 have so repeatedly 
met with colonies of Formica cunicularia , 
not only in the London district, but also 
at Southend, Dover and Deal, always in 
banks, particularly those having a mix- 
