84 HYMENOFTERA. 



as well as surprised, at their non-appearance. Of some of 

 the formerly most common species I have not observed a 

 single individual ; of others rather an increased number, but 

 still a very scanty number appeared. This great diminution, 

 I trust, is not general, and that from other centres they will 

 spread, and again, as formerly, be found in the vicinity of 

 the metropolis. With me the leaf-cutting bees, Megachile^ 

 are become quite insects of rarity; and of the solitary repre- 

 sentative of the genus AnthicUum, in this country, I did not 

 observe a single individual during the entire season ; the latter 

 insect is not a burrower in the ground, neither are the majo- 

 rity of the species of the genus 3Icgacliile, therefore we cannot 

 attribute their disappearance to the supposed cause of the 

 diminution of the number of ground-burrowing bees, namely, 

 the occurrence of a succession of unusually wet seasons 

 having caused their destruction. May it not be, as has been 

 observed of many animals, birds and even of fish, that a tem- 

 porary migration to other localities occasionally takes place 

 even amongst insects, and that their reappearance may be 

 confidently expected to be as sudden as was their departure. 



Judging from the communications that have reached me, 

 it appears, that perhaps in the memory of no living Ento- 

 mologist have wasps been more generally abundant than 

 during the past season ; the depredations committed by these 

 marauders in gardens and orchards have possibly never called 

 forth more bitter complaints against them. In many districts 

 a price has been put upon them, that has stimulated boys to 

 join in their wholesale destruction. From the best infor- 

 mation I have been able to obtain, the abundance of fruit 

 has been such, that it has, in many cases, scarcely proved 

 worth while to carry it to market, the cost of doing so being 

 quite equal to the price the fruit M'ould fetch. Such being 

 the case, it becomes a question whether fruit-growers have 



