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HYMENOPTERA. 



Observations on the Effects of the late unfavour- 

 able Season on Hymenopterous Insects; Notes on 

 THE Economy of certain Species, on the Capture 

 OF others of Extreme Rarity, and on Species new 

 TO THE British Fauna. 



By Frederick Smith. 



Any record of the Entomological season of 1860, which 

 omitted a notice of the almost unprecedented scarcity of in- 

 sects generally, would, in my opinion, omit a most important 

 phase in its history. The continuous cold, wet and ungenial 

 weather, which has so generally prevailed throughout the 

 season, has had a most essential influence on the insect tribes ; 

 their scarcity, or abundance, being immediately dependent 

 upon the character of the weather, is a fact well known to 

 every experienced Entomologist. There is probably no tribe 

 of insects more influenced by atmospheric changes, during 

 the progress of their transformations, than the aculeate JSy- 

 meiwptera, many species being rarely seen except during 

 summers of long-continued dry hot weather ; some ^ew appa- 

 rently requiring an unusually high degree of temperature for 

 their development. Having arrived at the close of a year 

 during which we have scarcely enjoyed a day either of 

 summer or autumnal weather, properly so called, is it not 

 1861. D 



