22 



common heron (Ardea cinerea), which is, however, but rarely seen in the 

 neighbourhood. The paper concluded by an account of the wild-duck and 

 the common dabchick as examples of the natatm-es. The paper was illus- 

 trated throughout bj' specimens of birds' eggs and nests from the Club's col- 

 lection. After a discussion, in which Dr. Boulting, Mr. Roland Ellis, and 

 Mr. T. E. Keys took part, a vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. F. H. Haines, 

 and the meeting terminated. 



JUNE 14th, 1883.— ORDINAET MEETING. 



MR. WM. BOULTING, L.R.C.P., 



President, in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. 



The donations to the Museum and Library were announced, and the donors 

 thanked. 



A fine collection of lizards, snakes, scorpions, &c., from Egypt, was presented 

 to the Club by Mr. Frank G. Howard, with a donation of 30s. A special 

 vote of thanks was accorded him. 



One gentleman was proposed for membership. 



It was announced that the Report of the Committee and President's 

 Address had been printed together, and were now published. 



A paper was read by MR. ROLAND ELLIS on the "PHYSIOLOGY 

 AND HABITS OF THE HIVE-BEE." 



The lecturer began by stating that a great deal was known about the hive- 

 bee when compared to other insects, and referred this fact to the circum- 

 stances of its great use to man and to the beautiful modification of its 

 various organs. He then proceeded to describe the nearest relations of the 

 bee in the order Hymenoptera, and mentioned the humble-bee and others, 

 the gall-flies, saw-flies, ichneumons, wasps, hornets, and ants. The charac- 

 teristics of the order were discussed, and he showed how the legless condition 

 of the larva of the bee had come about. By the aid of diagrams the lecturer 

 then explained the differences between the three conditions of the insect — the 

 queen, drone, and worker — and proceeded to describe their physiology. He 

 mentioned that the antenna were supposed to convey sounds as well as im- 

 pressions of contact, showed that the insects were not able to appreciate low 

 sounds, and said it was more than probable that their power of appreciating 

 sounds commences at or near the point where our power leaves off. The 

 antenna: seemed also appropriated to the transmission of impressions of which 

 we are ignorant. He then mentioned the complex eyes, with their hundreds 

 of lenses, and proceeded to describe the mouth parts, which are specialised to 

 a very high degree, and which by a series of diagrams he showed to be the 

 accumulated result of many successive variations in one direction. The great 

 length of the flexible tongue enables the insect to visit deep flowers which 

 would otherwise be inaccessible to it, and thus by natural selection the extra- 

 ordinary form it now presents has come about. He showed in support of this 

 how important to the individual bee even a slight lengthening of its proboscis 

 would be, as whole families of plants would thus be thrown open which would 

 be denied to a shorter-tongued form. Mr. Ellis next described the hind legs, 

 which are wonderfully adapted for carrying pollen. The sting next claimed 

 the attention of the audience. The structure of the sheath, the lancets, and 

 the poison reservoir and gland, was carefully described, and their operation 

 explained. From its structure, with recurved barbs, the sting cannot be 



