﻿Pediculus 
  MelittcB 
  of 
  Kirby. 
  5 
  

  

  of 
  Leon 
  Dufour's 
  opinion, 
  that 
  these 
  supposed 
  larvae 
  are 
  in 
  fact 
  

   perfect 
  insects. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  all 
  parasites, 
  with 
  which 
  I 
  am 
  acquainted, 
  

   their 
  development 
  is 
  simultaneous 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  insects 
  upon 
  

   which 
  they 
  are 
  parasitic 
  ; 
  but 
  here 
  we 
  have 
  a 
  supposed 
  parasite, 
  

   in 
  a 
  supposed 
  early 
  stage 
  of 
  development, 
  found 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  

   the 
  perfect 
  bee 
  upon 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  parasitic 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  

   certain 
  that 
  as 
  the 
  AnUiopliorce 
  had 
  never 
  quitted 
  their 
  cells, 
  the 
  

   Pcdiculi 
  must 
  either 
  have 
  found 
  their 
  own 
  way 
  into 
  the 
  nest, 
  or 
  

   have 
  been 
  conveyed 
  thither 
  by 
  the 
  parent 
  bee 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  

   season. 
  

  

  Assuming 
  the 
  latter 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  case, 
  we 
  find 
  a 
  creature 
  in 
  every 
  

   respect 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  deposited, 
  after 
  twelve 
  months 
  have 
  

   elapsed, 
  neither 
  changed 
  in 
  form 
  or 
  colouring, 
  and 
  Mr, 
  Newport 
  

   has 
  shown, 
  that 
  although 
  he 
  found 
  full 
  grown 
  larva 
  of 
  Meloe 
  in 
  

   plenty 
  in 
  the 
  cells 
  of 
  Jnthophorce, 
  he 
  did 
  not 
  meet 
  with 
  any 
  in 
  

   earlier 
  stages, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  reasonable 
  to 
  suppose 
  that 
  the 
  larva 
  of 
  

   Melve 
  conveyed 
  into 
  the 
  bees' 
  cells 
  arrives 
  at 
  the 
  perfect 
  condition 
  

   by 
  the 
  following 
  spring. 
  Further 
  observation 
  will, 
  1 
  hope, 
  enable 
  

   me 
  to 
  elucidate 
  this 
  subject 
  ; 
  in 
  its 
  present 
  position 
  I 
  am 
  inclined 
  

   to 
  regard 
  the 
  Pediculus 
  as 
  being 
  a 
  perfect 
  insect, 
  which 
  resides 
  in 
  

   the 
  nests 
  of 
  bees, 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  pollen, 
  and 
  depositing 
  its 
  egg 
  

   and 
  undergoing 
  its 
  metamorphoses 
  m 
  the 
  cells 
  of 
  bees 
  ; 
  in 
  fact 
  

   it 
  may 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  an 
  insect 
  of 
  similar 
  habits 
  to 
  the 
  j^cari 
  

   which 
  infest 
  Humble-bees, 
  and 
  live 
  in 
  great 
  numbers 
  in 
  their 
  

   nests, 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  honey 
  and 
  wax, 
  and 
  to 
  be 
  observed 
  there 
  

   during 
  summer 
  in 
  various 
  stages 
  of 
  development. 
  

  

  * 
  In 
  the 
  Rev. 
  W. 
  Kirby's 
  own 
  interleaved 
  copy 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  Monographia 
  Apum 
  

   Angliae" 
  I 
  observed 
  a 
  manuscript 
  note 
  appended 
  to 
  the 
  description 
  of 
  Anthidium 
  

   MunicaUim 
  to 
  the 
  following 
  effect 
  : 
  — 
  " 
  On 
  opening 
  one 
  of 
  ihe 
  cells 
  of 
  this 
  bee, 
  

   I 
  was 
  surprised 
  to 
  observe 
  a 
  I'edicubis 
  exactly 
  corresponding 
  in 
  form 
  with 
  (lie 
  

   Pediculus 
  Melitttc, 
  but 
  of 
  a 
  bright 
  yellow 
  colour." 
  It 
  does 
  not 
  stale 
  whether 
  the 
  

   cell 
  contained 
  a 
  larva, 
  a 
  perfect 
  insect, 
  or 
  any 
  thing 
  besides 
  the 
  Pediculus. 
  

  

  