Insect Miscellanies. 367 



smell, resembling that of Terbena triph^lla L. (Aloysia 

 citriodora Ortega), but more delicate ? 

 Page 213. :-«- 



" In another interesting bee (Anthophora retusa), one of the masons, 

 the distinction of the sexes is so great, that some naturalists of high name 

 have described them as different species. The male is all black, except 

 the hind thighs, which have an orange stripe j while the female is grey, and 

 has the middle pair of feet fringed with long hairs." 



Has not the author here just transposed the sexes ? I ask 

 the question rather for information's sake, than in the spirit of 

 correction. But I have always been accustomed to consider 

 the black bee as the female, and the grey one, with the pair 

 of beautifully feathered legs, as the male. And, in this 

 opinion I am borne out by the authority of Kirby (see 

 Monographia Apum Anglice, vol. ii. p. 296. 304.), where this 

 great hymenopterist remarks, " The male of this ysf'pis is so 

 totally unlike the female, that it has been regarded by all 

 authors, not excepting even Linnaeus himself, as a distinct 

 species." He then informs us, that " in an interleaved edition 

 of the Systema Naturce, containing the MS. notes of that great 

 naturalist, he finds it described under the name of A, pen- 

 nipes." It is not surprising that the two sexes of this bee 

 should have been mistaken for distinct species ; it requires, 

 indeed, more than a slight knowledge of its natural history 

 to be persuaded of the contrary. 



At p. 215. the professor says : — 



" In the instance of the orange-tip butterfly, while every meadow is 

 swarming with males, we seldom see more than one or two females in a 

 whole season, and those which are observed are seldom on the wing." 



The males of very many (perhaps most) insects are far 

 more abundant than the females ; and this, no doubt, is the 

 case with Pontia cardamines. But did the professor bear in 

 mind, when he made the above remark, how very readily the 

 female of this species, which has no gaudy colouring to dis- 

 tinguish it, and catch the eye, may be mistaken, on the mng^ 

 for other white butterflies, P. napi, e. g., and rapae ? Admit- 

 ting that the males are (as already said) by far the most abun- 

 dant, I may state, that I am in the frequent habit of seeing the 

 females every spring in my own garden, as well as in other 

 places, and on the mng too. 



Speaking of the luminous appearance of the glowworm, the 

 author remarks, p. 226., on the authority of Mr. Knapp, that 



" Observation had taught him that the light is not emitted after the 

 middle of July, at least so clearly and steadily (we found them at Rudes- 

 heim, on the Rhine, in full light, at the end of August) ; but he repeatedly 

 noticed, deep in the herbage, a faint evanescent light proceeding from these 

 creatures, even as late as August and September," &c. &c. 



