The occurrence in Canada of that unique and interesting species, Thylodrias contractus Mots., which Felt (2) has dubbed “the odd beet1e”, is a matter worthy of note.

This species was first discovered in North America, in May, 1902, by Mrs. Annie Trumbull Slosson, who found the insects in a box of neglected entomological specimens stored in an old closet in her home in New York.

The Mallophaga listed were collected from birds and mammals taken principally by the writer in various parts of Utah as indicated. The numbers found on the infested hosts varied from one or more to scores. The shore birds and jay were most heavily infested. The lice almost invariably came to the surface of the feathers or fur when the hosts became cold.

General ground color semihyaline to yellowish-white marked with red or orange. Vertex with semblance of five white spots more or less surrounded with bands of color. Pronotum with a median triangular or sometimes rectangular spot not touching either margin and the usual angular spot back of each eye. Scutellum with tip red and basal angles yellow bordered with red or orange on outer margins.

Male. Medium-sized, moderately robust; head, thorax, base of clypeus, club of antennae and underside usually black or brownish-black, otherwise brownish. Upper surface sparsely clothed with yellow hairs; underside densely covered with white scale-like hairs. Head densely, variolately punctate, often with a small irregular smooth space on the vertex; clypeal suture moderately impressed; clypeus prominent, usually moderately reflexed, truncate at apex, the angles rather narrowly rounded, the sides faintly rounded or sub-parallel, closely coarsely punctate.

The recent publication by McAtee on protective adaptations should stimulate field observations on warning coloration, mimicry, and kindred phenomena. The incident described below should be of interest because of its bearing upon this subject.

Elliott and Soule in ‘Caterpillars and their Moths’ say of the luna eggs—“Luna eggs are as purely white as its own white scales. We have had many eggs of luna, and never one which was not white.”

Only the abdomen is preserved, but its markings are quite distinct, and indicate a Syrphid. Unfortunately, the wings are missing, so the exact generic relationship can not be determined; I am referring it to Syrphus at the suggestion of Dr. Charles R. Jones.

Egg.—The egg is described by Hungerford (11) as being “elongate-oval, with a curved neck terminating in a flat surface which marks the exposed end of the egg as it lies in situ in the stem of some plant”. It is white when first laid, but within a few days it becomes watery transparent as the embryo begins to take form. The deep red eye spots and segmentation appear two days before hatching. Measurements of ten eggs of this species show the average length to be .877 mm., the greatest diameter .268 mm., and the diameter of the exposed end of the egg to be .163 mm.

Recently having occasion to study a group of metallic-colored Andrena, I took up a couple of paratypes of A. sladeni Viereck in my collection, and discovered that they belonged to quite different species. From Viereck's original description, I could not definitely make out which was the genuine A. sladeni, nor, indeed, whether that name really belonged to either of them.

American Entomologists who attend the Fifth International Entomological Congress and the Centenary of the French Entomological Society, in Paris July 16-23, 1932. will doubtless take advantage of the occasion to visit other parts of Europe.

Male.—Length 2 mm. Black, shining. Antennal plumes black; basal antennal segment dull black, segments of flagellum brownish.

Thorax black, pleural membranes brownish, dorsum greyish pollinose; scutellum and metanotum dull black with faint pollen. Halteres dark brownish with creamy white knobs.

Oblong, convex, shining black. Head convex without trace of tubercles, closely punctate; clypeus feebly emarginate, the angles broadly rounded, genae moderately prominent, antennae black. Pronotum one and one-half times as wide as long, side margins not explanate, hind angles distinct but obtuse, base feebly arcuate, basal marginal line entire and distinct, disk evenly convex, puncturation rather coarse and dense less so on vertex. Scutellum small.

Several interesting records of Hemiptera are recorded from Utah in the following short list. The writer is indebted to Mr. H. G. Barber of the National Museum for naming the material.

As I was working over a series of Nemestrinid flies with Curran's key, certain variations at once became apparent. The series consists of 93 females of Rhyncocephalus sackeni, Williston, identified by Mr. Curran himself, and it seemed advisable to list the points used in the key and to assign therein the irregularities occurring in the flies, together with some variations in wing venation.