THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER 
125 
CoLEOPTEBA. 
Mildness of the Season. — Being on 
Wimbledon Common collecting water- 
beetles for the aquarium, on the 26th of 
December last, I found (and landed) 
about a dozen living specimens (male 
and female) of Typhceus vulgaris floating 
on the ponds in the gravel-pits: these 
must have been immersed by dashing, in 
their reckless evening flight, against the 
steep banks of the cuttings, as I could 
not detect a siugle example in any of the 
level ponds on the common. This is 
surely very late in the season for any 
beetle to be flying, especially in such 
abundance ; and these specimens were 
anything but torpid, in spite of their un- 
accustomed cold bath, as they were one 
and all striking out, after the approved 
frog-pattern, though with the gravity and 
determination to be expected from a 
Geotrupes in such trying circumstances. 
I also found perfectly lively specimens of 
Dytiscus punctulatus (which seems almost 
peculiar to Wimbledon, at least in any 
quantity), and the usual quantity of 
Colymbetes fuscus , Acilius sulcatus, 
Agabus agilis, G. natalor, H. scilulus, 
L. interrupts, H. fuscipes, See. In old 
willows near the Common I obtained 
Carabus catenulatus and granulalus, Pte- 
rostichus nigrila, Badister bipustulalus, 
Omaseus minor, Phosphuga atrata (plenti- 
ful), Latridius porcatus, Haltica helxines, 
Orchestes Alni and others. One or two 
individuals of Sarcophaga carnaria were 
still lazily buzzing about, and plenty of 
active Culicidce danced up and down in 
the sun’s rays. — E. C. Rye, 14, King's 
Parade, Chelsea; Jan. 4. 
AN AMERICAN LITHOCOLLETIS. 
In the first volume of the ‘ Linnsa Ento- 
mological Zeller described a Lithocol- 
letis Acaciella, with the habitat “ round 
Vienna, in the middle of September, on 
Acacias, scarce ; the larva on Acacia 
(Mann.)." 
Years had elapsed, nothing further 
was known, and we were led to suspect 
that “ the larva on Acacia ” was rather 
an hypothesis than a fact. If a fact, we 
are at a loss to conceive why the larvse 
have not been systematically collected 
by the Vienna entomologists. A clever 
German entomologist tried to prove to 
us last spring that no insect would feed 
on the Acacia, but we so often find in 
nature that animals will do just exactly 
what we can prove they should not do, 
that we fear we hardly gave sufficient 
weight to the arguments of our worthy 
friend. 
The following communication from a 
transatlantic correspondent would lead 
us to infer that the home of the Litho- 
colletis Acaciella is in North America, the 
native country of the locust tree (Robinia 
Pseudacacia ) : — 
“ I intend to send you some specimens 
of an exquisitely beautiful leaf-miner, 
which I found on the 18th of October 
in the leaf of the locust-tree (Robinia 
Pseudacacia). I was fortunate enough 
to secure about fifteen or eighteen pupae 
and two larvae. The larva mines the 
under side of the leaf, and is always on 
one side of the midrib, sometimes near 
the base of the lea f, sometimes about the 
middle, but most frequently near the tip. 
The epidermis of the inferior surface of 
the leaf is of a pure white colour, and is 
stretched over a fold made by the margin 
being drawn towards the midrib. * * 
The first imago appeared on the 20tli of 
October, and the brood continued to ap- 
pear for about a week or ten days. There 
were two pups, which I hoped at one 
time would remain in the chrysalis state 
until spring, and that I should have the 
pleasure of sending them to you : I was 
much disappointed when 1 found, about 
the middle of November, they had also 
