THK ENTOMOLOGIST. 193 



E. innolata ; E. expalliJata. — Given on the authority of 

 the Rev. J. Bristosve. I have not seen the specimens in Mr. 

 Brislowe's collection, and never met vvitli either species in 

 Ireland myself. 



Edwin Birchall. 

 College House, Bradford, 

 November 6, 18G6. 



Notes on Acideale Hymenoptera observed in 1866. 

 By Frederick Smith, Esq. 



For some years past I have annually published some 

 record of discoveries and observations on the aculeate Hy- 

 menoptera : during the past season, not having enjoyed my 

 usual good health, I have been unable to devote mnch time 

 and attention to the subject; but I think enough has been 

 observed to make a short notice desirable, as I have also 

 been supplied with information by some of my old and kind 

 correspondents. There has also appeared, during the past 

 year, a volume on the ' British Bees,' by W. E. Shuckard, 

 whose volume on the Fossorial Hymenoptera, published in 

 1836, needs no commendation from me, it having been uni- 

 versally pronounced to be one of the most learned and com- 

 plete essays ever published on the subject. This work 

 appeared at a time when the author was ripe with his sub- 

 ject : thirty years have elapsed since the publication of that 

 work, during which period the author has paid little or no 

 attention to the Aculeata ; and consequently the volume on 

 the ' British Bees ' appears under very different circum- 

 stances, and can only be regarded as a work of compilation 

 from the labours of more industrious Entomologists, Eleven 

 years have elapsed since the publication of my own work on 

 the ' Bees of Great Britain,' and during that period much 

 additional information has accumulated, many discoveries 

 have been made, and numerous errors and omissions de- 

 tected : the recent work on the * British Bees' is, as a matter 

 of course, wanting in all these particulars ; whilst the in- 

 formation on the habits of the species is in a great degree 

 derived from antiquated sources, the records of which 

 modern investigation has proved to have been to a consider- 

 able extent imaginary. 



