18 Mr. G. Bird's Observations on induced Electric Currents, 



16. Hylarus signatus*, Pz. 



I noticed a female of this insect enter a straw in the thatch, 

 and on spHtting it open I found at the bottom a quantity of 

 some sweet substance, which I suppose was honey. It smelt 

 exactly like the leaves of Verbena triphylla-y and what is re- 

 markable, I have taken many of the insects which had the 

 same smell themselves, particularly when crushed. Yet 1 can- 

 not think that they obtained it from that plant as we have 

 none in the garden. 



17. Chelostoma florisomnis\, Linn. 



On the 5th of June I watched this insect boring into one of 

 the posts and throwing out the saw-dust with her hind legs. 

 On the 6th she had finished boring and was collecting the 

 pollen and honey to deposit her eggs in. I also watched her 

 bringing small pellets of clay in her mouth to form the parti- 

 tions. This continued until the 30th, when she closed the 

 orifice with clay and small stones. There are generally eight 

 or ten cells in the tunnels nearly filled with pollen, &c. ; and 

 the egg^ which is long, white and semitransparent, is deposited 

 in the midst at the top. The males I took flying about the 

 posts where the females nidificated. 



18. Osmia bicornisX^ Linn. 



The oeconomy of this bee seems nearly similar to that of 

 the last. It is found about the same time, but the males ap- 

 pear some time before the females. 



1 9. Osmia spinulosa, Kirb. 



This bee forms a paste of pollen, &c. for its young, appa- 

 rently similar to bicornis, but the partitions are of a green co- 

 lour, and seem to be made of clay and the parenchyma of 

 leaves kneaded together. 



20. Heriades campanidarum §, Kirb. 

 I have taken this insect settling upon the posts of the sum- 

 mer-house, but have not observed any thing of its oeconomy. 

 Upper Clapton, Aug. 22, 1837. A. Kennedy. 



IV. Observations on induced Electric Currents, with a Descrip- 

 tion q/' a Magnetic Contact-breaker. By Golding Bird, 

 F.L.S.,F.G,S., 6)C,,Lccturer on Experimental Philosophy at 

 Guy's Hospital, SfC; in a Letter to Richard Phillips, Esq. 

 F.E.S., 4c 

 My dear Sir, 



NE of the most important of the very numerous discoveries 

 of Dr. Faraday is undoubtedly that of electrodynamic 



• Curt. Brit. Em., fol. 373. f Ibid., fol. 628. 



t Ibid., fol. 222. § Ibid., fol. 504. 



o 



