1919.] l^X 



wa9])S very active, these Ilulicti seemed all to be keeping to their burrows. It 

 was not till after an hour spent in watching that I at last saw one come back 

 laden with pollen, and it was interesting to notice that, owing to the small size 

 of the opening of the burrow, a ring of yellow pollen was deposited around 

 thit*, being scraped off as the bee entered. As every one who has exaroinpd it 

 unist have noticed, this Halictus is unique in appearance amongst our British 

 s])ecies: the narrow cylindrical form of its $ calls to mind that of some bees 

 which nest in straws, reeds, or stems rather than in the earth. The strongly 

 incras?ated head which blocks the small mouth of the burrow may well serve 

 to keep out parasitic enemies, such as Sphecodes, which, according to some 

 Ciintinental observers, fi-equently kills the Halicfus on which it is parasitic. 

 The condition of the specimens obtained from the burrows was such that they 

 could have flown very little, for the brown thoracic hairs were quite unfaded 

 and the wings in perfect condition. From this I should assume that the 

 species — or at least the members of this colouy — is exceptionally late in moving 

 after lubernatiou, as compared with other members of the genus, and the males 

 would hardly appear before August. As mentioned above, II. inacnlafus has 

 always been considered a very rare species in this country, though common '.m 

 the Continent, but the recorded specimens show that it is widely distributed, 

 and there is little doubt that it will be found numerously in various localities. 

 Smith and Saunders refer only to two captures of the female by the former in 

 their books, both having overlooked Smith's own record for 1857, which states 

 that the J was taken by Partitt near Exeter and the 5 by Unwin in San- 

 down Bay in July. Smith's own captures were made at VVeybridge, Surrey, 

 and he states in his second Edition that the S has never been taken in 

 this country! This sex has also been recorded comparatively recently.— 

 K. C. L. Perkins, Paignton: June 5th, 1919. 



Xiphydria p7-olongata Geoffr. { = dro7nedarius Fahr.), bred from an artificial 

 leg. — The following note has been received at the Entomological Department 

 of the Natural History Museum from Mr. E. Muirhead Little, Consulting 

 Surgeon to Queen Mary's Convalescent Auxiliary Hospitals, Roehampion : 

 " I enclose two dead flies, which I should like identified, if you will be so kind 

 as to do so. Their history, as far as it is known to me, is curious, and as 

 follows : An artificial leg with a bucket or socket of willow was supplied 

 to an ex-soldier at Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton. A few days after- 

 wards he felt something pricking the skin of his stump. On examination, he 

 found these flies' heads protruding from holes on the inner surface of the 

 bucket. Apparently the larvse were hidden in the wood. The socket was 

 covered with raw hide glued on and dried by a stove and then varnished. 

 The inside was varnished with shellac. I do not think the provenance of 

 the piece of willow in question can be ascertained." The "flies" sent are 

 Xiphydria p)rolongata Geoffr. { = dromedarius Eabr.), a genus allied to 

 t^irex. — R. E. Turner, British Museum (Natural History), S. Kensington, 

 June bth, 1919. 



Obituary. — We regret to announce the death of W. E. Sharp, on 

 May 27th, and hope to give a detailed notice iu our next Number. — Eds. 



