THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 567 



of C. albicans, in which are full-fed larvae, some on 

 the mugwort flowers and seed, and others sticking here 

 and there about on anything; these latter having evidently 

 taken up winter-quarters, happy in a new locality. — C S. 

 Gregson. 



A New British ColeopJtora. — During the past winter I 

 have taken rather freely the cases and larvae of a new 

 Coleophora from the seed-heads of Juncus maritimus. The 

 larvae form their cases in the seed capsules, and are difficult 

 to discover, unless these are rubbed off the plant over paper, 

 when those tenanted by larvse will be seen walking away. 

 The imago emerges in June and July, and resembles very 

 closely C. Caespititiella, but appears to be less glossy and 

 somewhat smaller, with shorter, broader wings. It is more 

 abundant in our salt marshes than Caespititiella, and will no 

 doubt be found mixed with that species in most collections. 

 It passes the winter and spring in the larva state. Mr. Stainton 

 has seen the larva and imago, and has pronounced it new. — 

 Henry Moncreaff ; 145, HigJt Street, Portswood. 



[I would propose this new species of Coleophora should be 

 called C. maritimella of Moncreaff. — Edward Newman.'] 



Curious Instinct in Bees. — I have heard to-day of a 

 curious feature in the instinct of bees. In and around San 

 Franscisco there were no bees. Several swarms were 

 imported from this country : they in their usual manner 

 stored up honey, &c., for the winter. Of course no winter 

 came ; and from that time the bees gave up storing honey, 

 and simply devoted their energies to the propagation of their 

 species, and procuring food for themselves. Is this a known 

 circumstance in connection with these interesting creatures ? 

 [/?ey.] G. C. B. Madden ; TJie Vicarage, Arinitage Bridge, 

 Huddersjield, Yorkshire, November 4, 1873. 



Living Insect in African Gum. — We hasten to send you 

 an insect found alive this morning in a piece of gum in which 

 it is embedded. It is common enough to find " Hies in amber" 

 and other gums, but never to our knowledge have they been 

 found alive. One of our assistants seeing an insect in a 

 nodule of Sierra Leone copal, broke it, and perceiving it to 

 move its head brought it to us for inspection. So far as we 

 can see it appears to be the larva of a beetle nearly half an 

 inch long, with some of its legs and its head free j it has been 



