THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 143 



point, as to which very different opinions have been pro- 

 pounded, is the use of the antennas. Some entomologists 

 have regarded them as olfactory organs, some as ears, the 

 weight of authority being ])erhaps in favour of the latter 

 opinion. In experimenting on his wasps and bees, Sir John, 

 to his surprise, could obtain no evidence that they heard at 

 all. He tried them with a shrill pipe, with a whistle, with a 

 violin, with all the sounds of which his voice was capable, 

 doing so, moreover, within a few inches of their head ; but 

 they continued to feed without the slightest appearance of 

 consciousness. Lastly, he recounted some observations 

 showing that bees have the power of distinguishing colours. 

 The relations of insects to flowers imply that the former can 

 distinguish colour; but there had been as yet but few direct 

 observations on the point. 



Extracts from the Proceedings of the Entomological Society 

 of London, April 6, 1874. 



Sir Sidney Smith Saunders, C.M.G., President, in the 

 chair. 



Andrena tibialis and Slylops. — Mr. Frederick Smith com- 

 municated to the Society the fact of his having captured 

 seven specimens of Andrena tibialis, on Hampstcad Heath, 

 on the previous Friday, April 3rd, two being females and five 

 males. One of the females had the exuviae of two males of 

 Stylops remaining in the abdomen, the other female had had 

 one male of Stylops, and also a female which of course 

 remained in the abdomen of the bee. Of the male Andrena?, 

 one contained two females, a second having one of the same 

 sex remaining in its abdomen. Mr. Smith mentioned this 

 circumstance to give collectors of Coleoptera an opportunity 

 of capturing the rare Stylops; and recommended searching 

 for Stylopized bees between the hours of nine and twelve in 

 the morning, as, according to his experience, the Stylops 

 always emerged from the body of the bee on the day on 

 whicii the latter first quitted its nest, should the day be 

 bright and sunny; and he also mentioned the fact of his 

 never liaving captured a bee which had a male Sty]oj)s 

 remaining in its abdomen at a later hour of the day than 



