94 W. COLE ON A PARASITE OF HUMBLE BEES. 



only to call to mind the genns Stylops and its allies, or the 

 transformations of the species of Meloe, in confirmation of this 

 statement ; and I propose to bring under the notice of the Society 

 to-night a parasite which may vie in interest with any of these, and 

 one that forms a very instructive object for microscopical study. 



I must, at the outset, plead for your kind indulgence, inasmuch 

 as I have scarcely any observations of a novel character to bring 

 forward. My apprenticeship to the use of the microscope has been 

 so short, and my experience in this kind of investigation so limited, 

 that it was hardly possible I should be able to do more than repeat 

 some of the observations of the learned and skilful entomologist 

 who had previously worked at the subject. I was encouraged, how- 

 ever, by what passed at our previous meeting, and I hope others 

 of our diffident members may be so likewise. Most of us will agree 

 with the purport of our President's remarks in his Annual Address, 

 that papers read before this Club need not necessarily be of an 

 original character. I am afraid a paper of that description every 

 month must long remain a thing to be desired, rather than 

 expected. But if each member, who has been studying an 

 interesting subject, were to give an account of his labours, even 

 though they had led him to the discovery of no fresh facts, or to 

 the elaboration of no startling theories, we should hear fewer com- 

 plaints of the paucity of papers ; no attempts would be necessary 

 to diminish the number of meetings ; and the discussions so pro- 

 moted would, by calling forth the latent knowledge and experience 

 of our colleagues, do much to increase the pleasure and profit to 

 be derived from the assemblies of the Club. Having this object in 

 view, I trust the few remarks I propose to make will be taken as 

 they are intended, rather for the purpose of attracting attention to 

 an interesting subject, about which I hope to have more to say in 

 the future, than as constituting a scientific memoir. 



As regards its systematic position, Sphoerularia may be placed 

 in the old class Entozoa, which comprises so many strange animals 

 within its rather loose and indefinite confines. The parasite's 

 nearest allies would appear to be the genera Mermis and Gordius, 

 although it differs from both in several important particulars, and 

 Dr. Cobbold places it with them in the family Gordiidce. The two 

 first named genera are well known to be parasitic in insects, at 

 least in one stage of their existence. At other times, Gordius and 

 Mermis are found in water and damp places ; and several instances 



