190 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



Under the heading " Ammonia and Hydrogen Nitrate," the author states that 

 it has not yet been ascertained how the necessary quantity, besides the contents of 

 the annual rainfall, is obtained. There is, however, no doubt, that the soil always 

 contains a sufficient quantity of ammonia-salts and nitrates to account for the ni- 

 trogenous matter found in plants, and it has been proved that with the exception of 

 fungi (and perhaps other parasities) no plants are capable of assimilating the 

 atmospheric nitrogen or ammonia.* 



It mi^ht have been desirable in a book of this scope, to give a short outline of 

 the movement of water in plants, the more so as this process has not been ascer- 

 tained until comparatively recently after having for many years remained an 

 unsolved and much disputed problem. 



It must be regretted that a book which deals with its subject in such an admir- 

 ably clear and demonstrative way, and is full of valuable information, should 

 coutain those few, but scientifically important errors. 



Victoria Gardens. G. CARSTENSEN. 



Mr. GILES' DRAGON-FLY. 



With reference to a note by E. Giles in No. S, Vol. IV. of the Journal, I would 

 point out that Mr. Giles is almost certainly wrong in calling his insect a '' dragon- 

 fly." I do not know much of the neuroptera, but such a feat as he ascribes to 

 a " dragon-fly" could not, I think, possibly be performed by one. The scene 

 described, however, is very much what occurs each time Chlorion (a genus of the 

 Sphex family of Fossorial Hymenoptera) has occasion to lay an egg. The cricket 

 is paralyzed by stinging, and then buried to serve as food for the larva of Chlorion, 

 when it shall hatch from the egg buried with the cricket. There are two fairly 

 common species, C. splendidum (Fabr.) and C. lobatum (Fabr.), the latter, I think, is 

 Mr. Giles' " dragon-fly." Dahlbom describes it as " cyaneo-viride aut veride-cyaneum 

 splendidissimum ; St. Fargean calls it " verte doree." Smith, however, in his 

 Brit. Mus. Catalogue writes: " An examination of a large number of specimens 

 from various parts of India and China shows that this insect is very incon- 

 stant in colour, varying from brassy or golden green to dark blue. This 

 satisfies Mr. Giles' description, and Chlorion has certainly a far " neater figure" than 

 any " dragon-fly" The only difficulty is the size. Unfortunately none of the 

 authors quoted give the size ; but 1| inches is, I should think, the average for 

 C. lobatum. 



Specimens of both C. splendidum and C lobatum will be found in the Society's 

 collection of Hymenoptera (Sphegidae, Nos. 16 and 17). 



Poona Districts, 24M March 1890. ROBT. WROUGHTON. 



* According to the latest researches, it seems certain that some Leguminous plants 

 chiefly kinds with warted roots, assimilate nitrogen from the air, probably through 

 the agency of Bacteria. 



