120 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



fishes confined with it, but had left the gold-fish (up to the 

 lime when 1 examined them) entirely (iee from attack. 1 

 have not myself seen the Rnnatra in the act of preying on 

 its victim ; but the owner of the aqiiaiium, who is a careful 

 observer, informed me that it selected any point indifferently, 

 simply digging its rostrum well in, and holding firmly with 

 its legs, for which the long, curved, though clawless tibiae 

 and tarsi of the first pair are especially adapted. — E. A. 

 Ormkrod; Dunsler Lodge, near Isleworth, April 13, 1878. 



Books on British Hymenoptera.— In reply to Mr. W. 

 Gardiner, who asks for information on this head, if he thinks 

 of studying the entire order of Hymenoptera he would 

 require qiite a small library. In Westwood's Introduction 

 he is referred to all the standard works. If he intends to 

 imply the Aculeafa, Shuckard is good as regards generic 

 description, &c. ; but his descriptions are of generic dis- 

 tinctions, and are elaborated with mere specific differences. 

 Of specific descriptions there are none. Therelbre Mr. 

 Gardiner wants the last edition of ' British Bees,' by Mr. 

 Frederick Smith ; and also the ' Catalogue of British 

 Fossorial Hymenoptera — Forniicid^ and Vespidce,'' published 

 by the Trustees of the British Museum in 1858; also by 

 Mr. Smith. For the Iclnietwto/iicice, Gravenhorsl's ' Ichneu- 

 monidai P'.iuopeae ; ' there is no work of the kind in English. 

 The gall-flies he will find in the 'Entomologist;' there is no 

 separate work complete in English. — Ed. 



Cambridge Entomological Society. — This Society held 

 its twenty-sixth Annual Meeting on February 8th, 1878, 

 when the officers were elected for the coming year, and the 

 Treasurer presented his statement of accounts, which showed 

 a substantial balance in the Society's favour. The number 

 and destination of the excursions, which ought to be of a 

 most interesting character, considering the localities chosen, 

 was arranged. Mr, W. A. Forbes, of St. John's, Cambridge, 

 the Honorary Secretary, requests us to notice this Society, 

 with the object of its becoming better known. We have 

 great pleasure in doing so, and at the sau)e time wish its 

 already long career and success may be extended for many 

 years. — Ed. 



