OF THE DISTRICT. 209 
I subsequently (June 12th) took two V. arborea Queens, thus 
completing the list of British Vespide, with the exception of 
V. Crabro (Hornet), which I have never known to occur in our 
district. Cofoneaster Simmondsii is also very attractive. 
A. O. W. 
QUEEN WASPS BLOWN OUT TO SEA. 
While trawling about a mile off the shore between Rhyl and 
Prestatyn on September 13th, 1883, several Queen Wasps and 
only two or three workers came on board. It was almost calm, 
what little air there was being from the land. Probably a 
prevalence of southerly winds on our coast in the autumn would 
make a considerable difference in the number of Wasps’ nests 
the following summer, as the Queens, being more unwieldy 
than the workers, appear to be more liable to be blown out to 
sea. Perhaps the destruction of Queens in this way may 
partially compensate for the survival of a large number during 
the comparatively mild winters of this coast, though they are 
still sadly too common in most summers. A. O. W. 
Bombus pratorum USING DESERTED Birps’ NEsTs. 
On May 2oth, 1883, I found a deserted Hedge-Sparrow’s 
Nest containing eggs covered over with moss, and on disturbing 
it a female B. pratorum flew out. I cleared away the covering, 
leaving the eggs exposed, but two days later I found the nest 
again covered in, and the Bee flew out as before. On June 3rd 
I found a dead male Bee of the same species in the nest, which, 
however, seemed to have been forsaken by the female. The 
nest was in a low bush of Golden Yew. A. O. W. 
BUTTERFLIES TAMED. 
The young THomasss of Llandudno (whom I commended to 
you long ago as promising observers), have succeeded in taming 
certain species of Butterfly, but not the common white, which is 
too shy. They began by offering, cautiously, a ‘‘ sugared ” finger, 
on which the insect perched and fed, returning when shaken 
off, and finally following their friends up and down the garden, 
and alighting on them fearlessly. A fuller account appeared in 
a Manchester paper. Surely this is worth following up. 
J. PRICK. 
INSTINCT IN WEEVIL. 
While collecting insects on the hill near Glyn Farm, Colwyn 
Bay, on July 7th, 1887, I observed a bright green Weevil, 
which was new to me, on an oak leaf. When I stooped over 
it it at once contracted its legs and rolled off the leaf, falling 
on another below where it lay feigning death. I then placed 
my ring net (a green one) reversed, so as to form a flat surface, 
beneath the leaf and caused the beetle to roll on to it. The 
-moment it touched the net it at once came to life and ran 
