100 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



In January the specimens became very tame, and it was my 

 habit to let them fly about in my room on sunny mornings ; 

 they would settle on the curtains with wings expanded and sun 

 themselves ; they would also feed from my hand, and enjoyed a 

 piece of apple with sugar sprinkled on it, or a banana ; they 

 seemed to like the extra space, and the exercise I thought would 

 keep them strong, as they took so much food. 



In February I lost a second specimen, which flew into the fire ; 

 this left me with only five. All went well, and no more met with 

 unhappy endings during that month. 



Early in March I placed them out of doors in the daytime, 

 confined in a roomy cage under a glass-roofed house with open 

 sides, and gave them a pot of growing nettle. No sign of pairing 

 was noted, but in early May a fair quantity of ova had been 

 deposited ; these, however, proved infertile, and on examining 

 the specimens I found all were females, the only two males having 

 been the victims of the winter ; this greatly disappointed me. 



The last specimen lived till the end of May. 



I think these observations clear up a point which has long 

 been in doubt, and prove that atalanta is not a true hybernator, 

 as it requires food all the winter, consequently this species very 

 seldom, if ever, passes the winter as imagines in England ; we 

 are, therefore, entirely dependent on immigration every year for 

 this beautiful though common butterfly. 



1910 was a very bad atalanta year. Personally, I saw only 

 two specimens on the wing and found but one larva, and heard 

 of very few larva3 or imagines having been seen in England 

 during the year. 



I had six pupae sent to me from Devonshire ; these I bred 

 out, and have the imagines alive. Mr. T. Keuss has sent me 

 eight living specimens, two of which met with an accident a few 

 days after arrival, so this winter I have twelve specimens, and 

 with these few I hope to be able to clear up a further point next 

 spring, and that is, to find out whether the species pair in early 

 spring. I have noticed no sign of autumnal pairing. 



Bexley, Kent. 



THE HUMBLE-BEES OF FOKMOSA. 



By T. D. a. Cockekell. 



Having received from the British and Berlin Museums a 

 large series of Formosan Bombi, I have thought it oj^portune to 

 present an account of the species of that island, all of which 

 appear to be endemic. 



Bombus wilemani, n. sp. 

 Worker ; length 15 mm. ; black, the pubescence black, rust-red 

 on abdominal segments 3 to C, above and below ; the small joints of 



