60 Entomological Society. 



remove, by what however can only be regarded as an ingenious hy- 

 l^othesis, viz. that as the queen is evidently impregnated in the wide 

 expanse of the atmosphere, this may render a numerous race of males 

 desirable, that she may run no risk of experiencing disappointment 

 in meeting with them. This aerial flight, having impregnation for 

 its object, is countenanced by a similar proceeding among ants and 

 humble-bees. In a correspondence which Feburier held with Mr. 

 Knight, he mentioned a circumstance wliich fell under his own ob- 

 servation, tending to show that the union of the sexes in bees takes 

 place after the manner of whales and human beings. If so, the 

 horny prehensile appendages which appertain to the genital organs 

 of wasps and hornets would not be needed. The evidence afforded 

 by Mr. Golding of the act having been performed, taken per se, 

 is certainly merely presumptive ; but confirmed as it is by Hiiber's 

 declaration, that a portion of the drone's organ {corps lenticulaire) 

 was repeatedly seen by Burnens in the vulva of the young queens, 

 I think Mr. Golding's observation carries weight with it. I never 

 knew nor heard of a princess having been impregnated prior to her 

 quitting the parent hive. The experience of Hiiber, Mr. Golding, 

 myself and other apiarians shows that impregnation never takes 

 place till after she has been established in her new abode. In all 

 probability, if she quitted the old stock to take her aerial flight, the 

 next in succession would be set at liberty during her absence, and 

 when she returned, be prepared to receive her in hostile array, an 

 event which the bees appear, on all occasions, sedulously to guard 

 against. 



" As regards the law of primogeniture in the royal brood, I think 

 you will be satisfied that it is observed, when you consider the na- 

 tural enmity which the royal insects bear towards each other ; so 

 great as to render it intolerable for more than one to be at liberty in 

 the hive at the same time. The first-bom pipes in a shrill tone, her 

 voice being heard through no other medium than that of the air and 

 the hive, while the next in succession, and sometimes even the next 

 but one, sends forth a hoarse note, being heard through the addi- 

 tional medium of the royal cell. And the workers allow not one of 

 the imprisoned princesses to emerge till the swarm issues forth, or 

 till it is decided that there shall be no farther issue ; in which latter 

 case the royal cells are left unguarded, and the senior princess is 

 allowed to despatch all the embryo princesses, which she very soon 

 accomplishes, and thereby prevents the possibility of any compe- 

 tition for the throne. — E. Bevan." 



A discussion also took place on the potato-disease, the President 

 attributing it chiefly to the attacks of the wire-worm, whilst Mr. 

 Spence and others referred it to atmospheric causes. 



October 6th. — The Rev. F. W. Hope, President, in the Chair. 



The President exhibited a large collection of IchneumonidcB, re- 

 cently captured by himself at Southend. Also some plates of exotic 

 Lepidoptera, drawn by Mr. Spry for the Transactions, containing 



