86 Zoology. 



in which they had been deposited. A specimen of the Trichiosdma was 

 found by a companion of my boy's, which was full of these /chneumon 

 caterpillars ; and an old empty follicle, which I found, had likewise had its 

 occupant destroyed by the same kind of depredators. The imagos or 

 flies of the Trichiosdma appear to be tolerably abundant in the habitat 

 mentioned. 



The accompanying figure is sketched from nature by my young na- 

 turalist (now 9| years of age), who is entirely self-taught, and I hope it 

 may be sufficiently to your purpose to have it engraved ; as it would pro- 

 bably induce others to direct the attention of their children to the study of 

 nature. lam, Sir, yours, &c. — Samuel Woodward. Norwich, May 16. 1831. 

 The above instance of the check effected by the /chneuraonidae to 

 superabundant increase in the insect population, should be added to the 

 other instances enumerated p. 105. — J. D. 



Corollas and Petals perforated by Bees. — Mr. RennLe disputes (Insect 

 Miscellanies^ p. 50.) the younger Ruber's assertion, that bees perforate 

 the tubes of bean flowers (-Faba vulgaris); he will find that assertion con- 

 firmed Vol. IV. p. 93. of this Magazine ; and that of their perforating the 

 nectaries of aconite blossoms averred Vol. IV. p. 479, In the present 

 Number, p. 74., he will perceive questionless testimony that bees also 

 perforate the blossoms of Antirrhinum majus, which Mr. Rennie (Insect 

 Miscellanies, p. 49.) disputes ; and also those of Jasminum officinale. In 

 addition to these instances, we present the following: — Dr. Withering, 

 in noticing our native columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris), in his Arrangement 

 of British Plants, observes, "The elongated and incurved nectary of this 

 flower seems to bid defiance to the entrance of the bee, in search of the 

 hidden treasure; but the admirable ingenuity of the sagacious insect is not 

 to be thus defeated ; for, on ascertaining the impracticability of effecting 

 his usual admission, he with his proboscis actually perforates the blossom 

 near the depot of honey, and thus extracts the latent sweets without 

 farther difficulty." (B. Maund, in his Botanic Garden for September, 1831, 

 under Aquilegia canadensis. No. 322.) 



The following notice of petals perforated by bees, we quote from the 

 Jjancaster Herald of June 30. 1831 : — 



" The Humble Bee. We have had a singular instance of the destructi- 

 bility of this insect, amongst carnations, communicated to us by Messrs, 

 Connelly and Son of this town, who have had many of their best flowers 

 destroyed by it. It appears that, as soon as the bud begins to open, the 

 bee settles upon it ; and by causing some injury to the foot of the petals, 

 by its proboscis, all farther process is stayed, and the bud dies, scarcely 

 half blown. This fact was mentioned to Mr. Loudon, who, when here, 

 found Mr. Connelly, jun., engaged in destroying the bees, and washing the 

 buds of his plants, to prevent farther injury." — J. D. 



Hydrbbius lateralis not a British Insect. — Sir, Mr. Curtis having upon 

 my authority introduced into his valuable Guide * Hydi'obius lateralis Fab. 

 as a British insect, I feel it due to that gentleman as well as myself, to 

 state that its admission as such was erroneous, and that it has no claim 

 to be so regarded. 



The fact is, that one or two entomologists in a distant part of the coun- 

 try (whose names I will not mention, believing them to be ashamed of 

 the transaction) managed to foist this insect on a very assiduous collector, 

 but possessing no scientific knowledge, by dishonourably substituting it 

 for an insect of a genus, to an unpractised eye, somewhat resembling it in 

 external appearance. The poor man, without any suspicion, disposed of 

 the insect as British, and of his own capturing, to the highly respectable 



* A Guide to an Arrangement of British Insects, by John Curtis. 

 Reviewed in p. 429. of our Fourth Volume. 



