THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 141 



it commonly here on the male flowers of the oak. Its occur- 

 rence first in a northern locality, and in a southern one when 

 looked for, must tend to show that it is widely distributed 

 over the country, and would no doubt be found to be so, were 

 the Cynipida) more studied by British entomologists. Dr. 

 Mayr's description and figures of the gall will no doubt 

 appear in a later number of ihe ' Entomologist.' I hope the 

 reproduction of the excellent figures in his work will call 

 entomologist's attention to the study of British galls, their 

 makers, and parasites. — Edward A, Fitch; Down Hally 

 Ealeifjh, Essex, May 9, 1874. 



Correction of an Error. — May I ask you to state that all 

 the- Aphides marked "females" in my list of desiderata, 

 inserted in your May number, are required to be " winged 

 females," except Schizoneura vagans, unless they should be 

 oviparous females. Your readers are doubtless aware that 

 Aphides occur under five forms, namely, as larva?, pupae, 

 winged females, winged males, and wingless oviparous 

 females. The three first are oviparous, and have incomplete 

 sexual characters ; the two last are to be regarded as the 

 mature individuals of the series. — G. B. Backlon ; Wey- 

 comhe, Haslcmere, May 5, 1874. 



Extract from ihe Proceedings of ihe Linnean Society of 

 London, March 19, 1874. 



Dr. G. J. Allman, F.R.S., in the chair. 



Economy of Bees and Wasps. — Sir John Lubbock read 

 some " Observations on Bees and Wasps." The paper com- 

 menced by pointing out, with reference to the power of 

 communication with one another, said to be possessed by 

 riymenoptera, that the observations on record scarcely justify 

 ihe conclusions which have been drawn from them. In 

 support of the opinion that ants, bees, and wasps, possess a 

 true language, it is usually slated that if one bee discovers a 

 store of honey, the others are soon aware of the fact. This, 

 however, does not necessarily imply the possession of any 

 power of describing localities, or anything which could 

 correctly be called a language. If the bees or wasps merely 

 follow their fortunate companions, the matter is simple 



