OF WASHINGTON. 11 



thenogenesis Among Bees," by Cav. Andrea de J^auschenfels, 

 editor of " L'Apicoltore," of Milan. The Dzierzon theory re 

 garding parthenogenesis among bees having been questioned by 

 several practical bee-masters of Germany and Italy, the zoologi 

 cal department of the University of Freiburg, under the direction 

 of Prof. August Weismann, undertook to make careful micro 

 scopic examinations of the eggs of queen bees of the species Apis 

 mellifera. Of 29 eggs laid in worker-cells traces of fecundation 

 were found in 23, while 94 eggs laid in drone-cells presented no 

 such traces ; in another instance among 62 eggs taken from 

 worker-cells not one was found that did not show fecundation, 

 and of 272 eggs laid in drone-cells one only showed a vestige. 

 Even when, as a test of the accuracy of the microscopic examina 

 tions, the labels on material had been purposely exchanged, the 

 results were equally striking and decisive, so that Prof. Weis 

 mann concludes : " That it may be taken as proved that the eggs 

 deposited in drone-cells are normally not fecundated, while 

 on the other hand those deposited in worker-cells are always fe 

 cundated and that, therefore, the theory of Dr. Dzierzon remains 

 unchanged." 



The first paper was by Mr. Heidemann, and was entitled : 



NOTES ON BELONOCHILUS NUMENIUS SAY. 

 By O. HEIDEMANN. 



In collecting on the trees Platanus occidcntalis planted on 

 streets near Brightwood, June 10 last, I found the underside of 

 leaves covered with the larvae of a hemipterous insect in its dif 

 ferent stages of development, and was able to identify it at once 

 by the characteristic long and slender rostrum, which reaches 

 to the apex of abdomen, as Belonochilus numenius Say, a Ly- 

 gasid. A week later I secured adult specimens also in abundance 

 on the same trees. 



It surprised me to find the insect infesting these planted trees, 

 since it is not recorded as living on sycamore, or as being very 

 abundant ; it has been considered as quite rare, and I have in 

 former times found but few specimens bv sweeping; over the 

 fields. 



The insect was originally named by Thomas Say, Lygceus 

 numenius .* 



*New Harmony, Indiana, December, 1831. (Reprinted in Say's Ento 

 mology, of North America, LeConte, I, p. 331.) 



