NOTES. 17 
NOTES. 
PapILio PARMATUS (G. R. Gray) aT Mackay.—I have to 
record the very interesting fact of the occurence of this rare 
species of Papilio from Mackay, kindly communicated to me by 
Mr. Rowland E. Turner, of The Ridges. Papilio parmatus has 
only hitherto been known as a strictly Cape York species, and 
even from there in but few isolated examples ; the solitary speci- 
men in my collection being, I believe, hitherto the only represen- 
tative in Australian collections. During my experience, extending 
over a period of about twenty years, I have never heard of its 
being taken south of the last named locality, and I have been 
in receipt pretty regularly during the whole of this time of 
collections from almost every settlement upon our north-east 
coast, and have collected personally in the best Lepidoptera- 
producing localities on our northern seaboard. ‘This circumstance 
affords another instance of the almost impossible attempt to 
arbitrarily define the geographical area of the locale of species, 
even when supported by long and careful observation.—W. H. 
MIsKIN, Toowong, 13th Dec., 1886. 
Brauta ca&ca, Vitssch—A BEE-PARASITE.—Whilst requesting 
information as to the best method of mounting for the microscope 
a particular bee-parasite, our well-known apiarist, Mr. R. J. Cribb, 
introduced to my notice the interesting objects of this class which 
had suggested his inquiry. Accompanying a specimen of what 
appeared to be a hybrid Italian worker-bee were three tiny insects, 
stated to have been found parasitic upon it. These, on examina- 
tion, proved to be nothing other than the remarkable Braula ceca 
of Nitzsch. Braula is indeed a noteworthy animal, one of the 
least developed of the great family of the flies proper, or Diptera, 
and a connecting link as it were between insects and arachnids 
(scorpions, spiders, mites, &c.) Its life history and structure, 
however, show that degraded though it is, and though it is one in 
which no wings proper occur, it is nevertheless a true dipterous 
insect. It is also quite blind, and hence the designation ceca. 
Scarcely exceeding half a line in length, it is of a dark brown 
colour, and is clothed with stiff hairs. Its large broad head is 
remarkable not only on account of the absence of eyes, but for 
the possession of curious three-jointed antennze contained in deep 
pits. Considered with reference to those of other insects, its 
mouth organs too have a somewhat anomalous form. Its mid- 
body is short, ring-shaped, and almost merged into a ovoid five- 
jointed hind body. The six legs are all stout, with the usual 
B 
