OBSERVATIONS, ETC. 35 



female during the past autumn, and consequently anticipate 

 a great scarcity of these insects next season. On the 16th of 

 September I found a nest of Bomhus muscoi'um, in which 

 the larvae had nearly all changed to pupffi, and had perished 

 in that condition, in consequence of the long-continued wet 

 and cold ; this I fear has been the case with a large majority 

 of the moss-building; bees. 



A similar scarcity of the solitary species of bees has also 

 been occasioned by the late remarkably unfavourable season ; 

 in the case of these insects, however, I do not anticipate 

 any perceptible diminution in numbers next year, should the 

 weather prove suitable for their development. During the 

 past season the temperatuj-e was too low to induce the change 

 in these insects from the larva to the pupa state ; consequently, 

 the greater portion are, and will continue, in the larva state 

 until next season. 



In the month of June last I obtained a large number of 

 pupae of a species of Colletes ; these, in the usual progress 

 of development, would appear in the perfect condition about 

 the middle of July ; a few came forth in August, but the 

 majority still remain in the larva state. 



Another tribe of the Aculeata^ the Fossores, require a 

 higher degree of temperature than the ApidcB to induce the 

 changes necessary for their appearance; these insects revel 

 in the hottest sunshine, many indeed being only found when 

 unusually high degrees of temperature occur ; during the 

 past season, these insects have scarcely appeared at all in 

 situations where I have usually met with them in the greatest 

 profusion. 



I have no doubt of a similar scarcity having been observed 

 in other orders of insects, and that in addition to the ques- 

 tions—what has become of the wasps ? what has become of 

 the house-flies ? it has also been asked, what has become of 



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