LEPIDOPTERA AND HYMENOPTERA. 29 



latter case is, I think, however, very improbable ; meanwhile, I 

 have several now under investigation, and hope that by next 

 summer I may be able to prove beyond doubt the true action of 

 this parasite. I have found also that Shuckard, in his " British 

 Bees," makes the assertion that the larva of Osmia rtifa lives in 

 its cell during the winter, and only turns to a pupa in the spring. 

 This is quite erroneous, as you can see for yourselves to-night. 

 I have here two cells taken from a tunnel of this little insect, both 

 of which contained perfect insects, proving a very curious fact, 

 viz. — that the imago is actually developed in the autumn, but 

 remains a prisoner enclosed in its cell until the spring. One of 

 these cells I opened at the Entomological Society at the beginning 

 of the month, and the little bee is at large ; but I will open 

 the other to-night, and let out the little prisoner for your 

 inspection. A curious fact connected also with this little insect is 

 that it is furnished with long hairs on the abdomen, by which 

 means it carries its pollen, instead of, as with many bees, on its 

 hind legs — a beautiful example of the provision of Nature, as the 

 pellets of pollen would surely be rubbed off whilst coming down 

 the burrows if they were carried in the ordinary way. 



The next species I wish to mention is what is called the 

 Leaf-cutter Bee — Megachile centimcularis. In the top bar of 

 my front gate I have located three hives of this curious little bee, 

 and at any time on a bright sunny afternoon, after standing by the 

 gate for a few minutes, one at least of these little insects could be 

 seen coming home with its burden ; the sight is a curious one, 

 as you see nothing except a small leaf coming towards you, and 

 sailing round in circles smaller and smaller until it settles on the 

 top bar of the gate. By careful examination, you can then see 

 that in the centre of the leaf is this litde bee holding the leaf by 

 its legs. We will now go to the rose-tree from which it has taken 

 this leaf; and here we find that almost every leaf on the tree, 

 and many trees round, are cut up into most curious shapes by this 

 little insect. If one is fortunate to see the bee at work, you will 

 see it with its mandibles cutting out from the leaf a round piece 

 about an inch in diameter. It then flies off to its nest, but his bur- 

 row in the wood is much too small for the leaf to go in, and you then 

 see it cleverly rolling up the leaf and pushing it before it into the 



