Clifton College Scientific Society. 69 



Among bee parasites may be mentioned tbe Phora incrassata, 

 the bee-louse {Braula cceca), a kind of beetle called TricJiodes 

 apiarius, and Meloe angusticoUis. Nothing is more interest- 

 ing in the bee than the wonderful senses and instincts with 

 which it is endowed. The vision of the bee is weak, but 

 ample compensation is made by the antennse. It is through 

 the medium of the antennse that the bee has its keen per- 

 ception of temperature and the state of the atmosphere. The 

 taste of bees is imperfect ; but the sense of smell is exceed- 

 ingly acute: many naturalists suppose that the bee is directed 

 to the flowers by the smell of the honey. With regard to 

 the instincts of bees, it is hard to judge accurately how far 

 natural impulses, and how far knowledge acquired by ex- 

 perience, lead to the wonderful results we see. In no state, 

 however well governed, is the division of labour observed 

 with such unity, harmony, and success, as in a bee-hive. 



W. Ffooks read a paper on ' Cetacea.' The President 

 having invited the members to make any observations on the 

 paper, E. 0. Ashby, Esq., O.C, made some very amusing 

 remarks, chiefly based upon his own experience and investi- 

 gation. 



Present, 82 members and visitors. 



MEETING, Oct. 28, 1870. 



The President in the Chair. 



The minutes of the preceding meeting having been read, 

 the Eev. J. Greene gave the first of a series of papers on 

 ' Insect Life.' The paper was illustrated with a large number 

 of Diagrams, drawn and coloured by Mr. Greene himself. 

 The following is a short summary of the paper: — 



Having explained the characteristics of a true insect, he 

 briefly touched upon the six great orders into which they are 

 generally divided, giving examples of the habits and trans- 

 formations of some of the more noticeable species, as the 

 Carpenter Bee, the common Gnat, &c, &c. Passing on to the 

 order Lepidoptera, commonly known by the name of ' Butter- 

 flies and Moths,' he entered at great length into their ' life 

 history,' from the egg to the imago. They were readily to 

 be distinguished from all other insects by a vast number and 



