TiiK ENTOMOLOGIST. 178 



Doingn and Observations among the Aculeate Hymenoptera 

 daring 1875. By J. B. Bridgman, Esq.* 



The past season has been llie worst I have had for 

 working the Aculeate Hymenoptera since I commenced the 

 study, for though in noveUies and rarities I have had no 

 reason to corapkiin, yet the days on which they could be 

 collected have been very few : a few in April, the end of May 

 and beginning of June, and a fortnight in August, were about 

 tlie only occasions when there was a succession of fine 

 weather. 



Many causes probably combined to render these insects so 

 scarce. To the want of fine weather must be added, in some 

 degree, the long-conlinued cold of the previous winter, which 

 lasted till late in spring, the first fine warm day we had 

 occurring on the 29lh of April. Another cause may have 

 been the unprecedented drought of the summer of 1874, 

 which materially interfered with the growth and flowering of 

 many plants, thereby causing a great falling off in the 

 quantity of pollen and honey, both of which are essential for 

 food for the larvie of the bees. Still another fruitful cause of 

 their scarceness was, no doubt, to be found in the prevalence 

 of north and east winds, and sometimes the two combined. 

 Cold winds or dull weather are very prejudicial to these 

 insects: they will not stir from their burrows while either 

 prevail ; should a cloud even pass between them and the sun 

 they will remain quiet on whatever flower they may happen 

 to be till it is passed, and if of long duration they seem to 

 fall into a deep sleep, or to be almost entirely numb. 



In consequence of the cold spring all vegetation was 

 backward ; but when it did burst into bloom, and sunshine 

 came, the early bees, which had been retarded by the cold, 

 swarmed in some species. Amongst them was the hitherto 

 unknown female of Andrena bimaculata, a beautiful insect 

 belonging to the division with red or partial red abdomens; 

 the male was named by Kirby, who took it twice at Barham. 

 JNIr. Smith says in his book there are only two specimens 

 known, and these are in the collection of the British 

 Museum, I was fortunate enough to take a few males on 



* • Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturah'sts' Society ' 

 rivsitleut's Address), 1^75 — (1. Norwicti : Fletcher X- Sou. I'rice 'is. Orf, 



