258 SELECTED NOTES FROM 



This object, I think, consists of a multitude of exceedingly 

 thin plates, attached at one end to a delicate network, some of 

 which are presented to the eye endwise, others lying flat, all of 

 them marked with extremely close strise, and terminating in a frill 

 at the upper end. This frill presents an objection to Dr. Case's 

 theory, that the longitudinal lines are muscular fibres of extreme 

 tenuity. I rather think they are bendings in the plate, to give 

 strength similarly to the iron plates used for building purposes. 



A. Nicholson. 



Sting, Maxillae, and Labium of Melecta punctata (PI. XXII. , 

 Figs. 2 — 6). — This pretty and, when on the wing, weird-like bee 

 is parasitic on Atithop/iora. It has five joints to the maxillary 

 palpi and four to the labial. It is not very common in this 

 neighbourhood (Kirton-in-Lindsey), yet I have frequently taken it 



feeding on the small dead nettle. 



C. F. George. 



Aclysia Dytisci (PI. XXI., Figs. 9 — 11) is thought to be rare. 

 Although I have caught lots of the beetle, I have only found the 

 parasites on one. But I was fairly beaten in my endeavour to 

 get them off whole ; they stick so fast, that almost invariably six 

 or seven out of the eight legs would be pulled off. 



W. O. Nicholson. 



Sting, etc., of Melecta punctata (PI. XXIL, Figs. 2 — 6). — 

 M. punctata is a jet-black bee, with tufts of quite white hair about 

 the abdomen, legs, face, etc., and is a very pretty insect. It is 

 parasitic on AnthopJiora ; but the curious part of it is that it is 

 nearly allied to A7ithophora^ being, I believe, another genus of the 

 same family. It is tolerably frequent at Oxford in the spring and 

 early summer. It frequents sandy banks, where Anthophorce. 

 make their burrows. 



Its anatomy is rather interesting. The ridges on the maxillse 

 (of which there are a few on the maxillae of Apis mellijica, and a 

 very great many on those of Bonilnis muscorum) are quite absent. 

 This is a characteristic of bees that burrow in the ground. The 

 maxillary palpi are long; so are the paraglossia (PL XXII., /r., 

 Fig. 5). Both of these organs are very short in Apis 7nellifica. 

 In some of the nomad bees the maxillary palpi are as long as they 

 are in wasps. The pharanx, which in the slide is forced out of 

 proper position, is shown in natural position in the plate. I 



