64 HYMENOPTERA. 



p?'Oscarabeiis, or of 31. cicatricosus ; the larvae of neither of 

 these species, we are informed by Mr. Newport, *' ever ac- 

 quire this dai'kened coloui- ;" Pediculus Melittce being black, 

 and rather larger than the orange-coloured larvffi of 3Ielde. 

 These little hexapods are of the commonest occui'i'ence on 

 bees and wasps, and so in fact are also the larvae of Meloe ; 

 they frequently occur in early spi'ing, in great numbers, in 

 the flowers of the celandine, in buttercups and other flowers. 

 They continue to be found throughout summer, during 

 autumn, and I have found them in the cells of Anthophora 

 even in winter ; at all periods they are of the same colour 

 and size. Mr. Newport wrote, in 1845, '' whether they 

 belong to some other allied genus remains for future investi- 

 gation ;" he felt certain that they did not belong to J/e/oe, 

 and in 1862 we are unable to throw any additional light 

 upon the subject. 



The most remarkable discovery that has been made in the 

 Aculeata during the ppst season, is that of an imperfect 

 hermaphrodite example of the hive bee. Apis iiiellifica ; it 

 was taken by a bee-keeper in Scotland, and passed into the 

 hands of Mr. T. Woodbury, of Exeter, who liberally pre- 

 sented the specimen to myself; an account of tiiis remark- 

 able bee will be found in the volume of the *^ Zoologist " for 

 1862. 



An inaccuracy has inadvertently crept into the desci'ip- 

 tion, which I will hei'e correct : in describing the parts of 

 the bee that partake of the female characters, it is stated 

 that the sting is straight; this should not have been noticed, 

 since the sting of the queen bee is curved, that of the 

 worker being straight. 



Islington, October 29th, 1862. 



