202 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
except A. elattis, has been bred in colonies of B. fervidus. A. elatus and 
B. fervidus have been taken in copulation. 
One additional case, in connection with this matter, needs to be inquired 
into. Mr. E. T. Cresson records* the taking, in the State of New Jersey, 
of a colony of B. pennsylvanicus, which contained six females, thirty-four 
workers, and twenty-one males of "A. elatus." Mr. C. L. Marlatt has 
frequently collected these males in Kansas, which were doubtfully so 
determined by Mr. Cresson, in the nests of the same species. It is to be 
remarked that in these instances males of B. pennsylv am'cus are never 
found. It has been impossible for the writer to give these specimens of 
so-called A. elatus a critical examination. But he is confident that they 
will be found to differ from the A. elatus referred to B. fervidus, and to 
be the males of the species with which they are found. f 
There remain four North American species of true Apathus, two of which 
the males only are described, and two of which females only are known, 
and which respectively resemble the other species in coloration. Their 
breeding habits are entirely unknown. 
Prof. Riley opened the discussion, saying that he did not doubt 
the accuracy of the above conclusions in the least. He had found 
great difficulty in separating the species in these two genera. 
Mr, Marlatt stated that he had examined the nest of Bombus 
pennsylvanicus in the fall and had found the workers and queens, 
also male specimens, which were doubtfully identified as Apathus 
elatus, but which he now considers must have been the males of 
B. pennsylvanicus. In other species of Bombus he had found 
the males abundant. 
Mr. Ashmead would hardly be willing to accept these conclu- 
sions as final until the insects had been reared from the egg. 
Mr. Schwarz stated that he had seen the male of B. pennsyl- 
vanicus^ and that Mr. Pergande had called his attention to the 
difference in flight in the two sexes of this species. 
Prof. Riley said that he now recalled having taken a female 
Bombus and male Apathus in copulation. 
Mr. Coville further stated, in answer to a question, that there 
were a number of queens hatched together, and that they all left 
*Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., ii, p. 164(1863). , 
f While correcting the proof of this paper, an article by Mr. C. Robert- 
son in Entomological News, i, pp. 39-41 (1890), has been brought to my 
notice, in which the statement just made is entirely corroborated by inde- 
pendent observations. Mr. Robertson's article should by all means be 
read in connection with the present one. 
