( lxxv ) 



5 J Stylops flying about 3 It. above the grass towards me, 

 and one other escaped, being carried oft' by a sudden and 

 rather strong puff of wind. Whether these were actually 

 attracted by the 9 Stylops I had had in my hand I do not 

 know, but I strongly suspect that they were. 



" It is extremely probable, I think, that the '+' Stylops at 

 a certain (perhaps very brief) period of its life is highly 

 attractive to the £. It is quite possible that this attractive 

 stage may be sometimes lost before ever the bee leaves the 

 burrow, and in that case the eggs develop parthenogenetically. 



"It is noteworthy that on this lovely summer-like day, 

 from 9.45-1.15 being spent in the Stylops locality, only one 

 o Stylops was seen singly, all the others were actually in 

 'assemblies' or flying in one direction and one after the 

 other, as if to form one." 



Dr. Dixey commented on the physiological significance of 

 " giantism " and its possible cause. 



Paper. 



The following paper was read : — • 



" The Charina group of Pinacopteryx," by F. A. Dixey, 

 M.A., M.D., F.R.S., F.E.S. 



Dr. Dixey illustrated his paper by the exhibition of specimens. 

 He pointed out that this assemblage of species or subspecies 

 differed from the remainder of the genus by the character of 

 its scent-scales, and also, as had been noticed by Dr. Eltring- 

 ham, by the possession of a single posterior spine to the 

 clasper instead of two spines as in the pigea section of Pina- 

 copteryx. The uncus also exhibited distinctive features. The 

 various forms included in the group might be most con- 

 veniently ranged under the following heads : — 



1. P. charina, Boisd., inhabiting Cape Colony, Natal and 

 the Transvaal. 



2. P. simana, Hopff., originally described from Mozambique, 

 and occurring throughout Rhodesia, Portuguese and " Ger- 

 man " : East Africa, British East Africa (with the exception of 

 the district surrounding Mombasa), and Uganda. 



