168 
ALGERIA 
Among Moths the biggest was a male Saturnia atlantica, Lucas, 
found in the hotel; the smallest was an old friend, Plutella maculi- 
pennis. Another old friend, Caradrina quadripunctata , Fabr. (cubi- 
cularis , Bork.) came to light. Chesias oranaria , Lucas, was found 
among low plants, and Scoparia augustea } Steph., was beaten out of 
a hedge of Pistacia lentiscus , Linn. 
Near the interesting ruined Roman city of Announa my daughter 
found the apterous female of Ocnogyna gandolphei, Oberth. 
Diptera were represented by Bombylius boghariensis , Macq., 
taken on the hillside hovering near the ground, Eristalis tenax and 
Calliphora erythrocephala , Meig., together with Syrphus sp., which 
was found in some numbers in company with Apis mellifica, at the 
green flowers of a Buckthorn, Rhamnus alaternus, Linn. 
A community of the Ant, Gamponotus sichelii , Mayr, was found 
under a stone, and one of Aphaenogaster sardoa , Mayr, under 
another, while A. barbara, Linn., took the place of the latter at 
Announa. Sweeping yielded Andrena minutata , Kirby, Halictus 
(?) malachurus , and a Fly Spilogaster sp. The leaves of some large 
Agaves near the hotel appeared to be attractive, and among other 
insects I took on them a male of Osmia latreillei. There is, I think, 
little doubt that insects, more especially Diptera, are fond of sitting 
on large leaves, probably to sun themselves. Thus I have often 
noticed Syrphids sitting on the leaves of Rhododendrons and 
Hydrangeas in my garden at Mortehoe. 
The most conspicuous Aculeates were the large Carpenter-bees, 
of which by far the commonest was Xylocopa violacea, Linn., occurring 
on the flowers of Prunus sp., of Cineraria sp., and on Agave leaves, 
but of X. cyanea, Smith, one example only was secured. Of Andrena 
viridata, Per., I took a single male, but A. lucens, Imh., was rather 
common. At the flowers of Horehound, Cynoglossum cJieirifolium , 
Linn., I took a male of Podalirius pilipes, Fabr., var., while P. 
dispar , was to be had on the same flowers as well as on those of 
Asphodel. A female of P. dispar had two, a X. violacea had four 
pollinia on its head, but whether of Orchis or Asclepias I cannot now 
say. A female of Bombus terrestris , Linn., taken at Cynoglossum 
flowers, was the first of the genus that I met with in Algeria. The 
Fossors Notogonia nigrita, and a female Salius , were seen about cliffs 
of alluvium and tufa respectively. 
Here I may remark that I have often noticed that Xylocopae and 
Bombi are more quickly knocked down and killed by cyanide than 
are Noctuae, or even quite small beetles. 
I met with very few Orthoptera at Hammam Meskutine, only the 
