OF WASHINGTON. 71 



of the genus ( Vohicella fasciata Macquart) living as a scav 

 enger in the prickly pear cactus (Opuntla). To accompany 

 his notes Mr. Barber exhibited specimens of the adults of the 

 three North American species of Volucella which may be ex 

 pected in the vicinity of Washington ( V. evecta Walker, V. 

 vcsiculosa Fabricius, and V.fasctata Macquart) and a specimen 

 of the European Volucella bombylans Linnaeus one of those 

 known to live in wasps' nests. Mr. Barber showed also a num 

 ber of the supposed eggs of Volucella taken from the Plummer's 

 Island yellow jackets' nest and, for comparison, some specimens 

 labeled "eggs of a Syrphid preying upon Pemphigus acerifolii 

 Riley. No. io6a, Sept. 20, 'Si." He exhibited, further, some 

 alcoholic specimens of dipterous larvae which had later emerged 

 from the yellow jackets' nest. These are quite different in ap 

 pearance from some first stage larvae taken from the eggs before 

 mentioned and might, Mr, Barber thought, be similar to those 

 exhibited by Walker, and which Westwood pronounced to be 

 Anthomyiid larvae. 



Mr. Benton then read the following paper : 



THE SPECIFIC NAME OF THE COMMON HONEY-BEE. 

 BY FRANK BENTON. 



For nearly 150 years the most commonly used specific name 

 for our ordinary honey-bee has been mellijica, " honey maker," 

 and many hundreds, or I might say, many thousands of books 

 and articles have been written in which this term has been used. 

 Practical bee-keepers in rather recent times have discussed very 

 seriously the question as to whether the honey-bee was a mere 

 gatherer and carrier of honey, or did actually make honey ; in 

 other words, whether the finished product as it is placed before 

 the consumer has been sufficiently changed in the manipulation 

 given it by the bees to be accurately described as having been 

 made into honey by the bees themselves. 



The use of the specific name mellifera (honey bearer) accent 

 uated this discussion somewhat, the question seeming to be, in 

 the minds of many bee-keepers unfamiliar with the laws of zoo 

 logical nomenclature, merely as to which of the two names 

 would be the more appropriate. Incidentally it may be remarked 

 that, as a matter of fact, neither name describes fully the office 

 of the honey-bee, for the bees certainly do collect and bear the 



