﻿248 
  Mr. 
  W. 
  C. 
  Hewitson's 
  Descriptions, 
  Sfc. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  with 
  some 
  hesitation 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  added 
  this 
  singular 
  

   species 
  to 
  Doubleday's 
  genus 
  Dircenna. 
  It 
  differs 
  from 
  the 
  other 
  

   species 
  widely 
  in 
  the 
  neuration 
  of 
  the 
  posterior 
  wing, 
  but 
  not 
  

   more 
  so 
  than 
  many 
  species 
  oi 
  lihomia 
  do 
  from 
  each 
  other. 
  

  

  This 
  and 
  the 
  preceding 
  species, 
  both 
  quite 
  new, 
  form 
  part 
  of 
  

   a 
  valuable 
  collection 
  of 
  insects 
  presented 
  to 
  the 
  Entomological 
  

   Society 
  by 
  Senor 
  T. 
  J. 
  Stevens, 
  of 
  Bogota. 
  

  

  XXVIII. 
  Notes 
  on 
  the 
  Habits 
  of 
  a 
  Bee-parasite, 
  Melittobia 
  

   Acasta.* 
  By 
  Frederick 
  Smith, 
  Esq. 
  

  

  [Read 
  Nov. 
  7th, 
  1853.] 
  

  

  I 
  HAVE 
  much 
  pleasure 
  in 
  laying 
  before 
  the 
  Society 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  

   some 
  observations 
  on 
  a 
  bee-parasite 
  which 
  infests 
  the 
  nests 
  of 
  

   Anlhophora 
  relusa. 
  This 
  insect 
  has 
  formed 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  several 
  

   most 
  interesting 
  papers 
  by 
  Mr. 
  George 
  Newport 
  which 
  have 
  

   appeared 
  in 
  the 
  Transactions 
  of 
  the 
  Linnaean 
  Society. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Francis 
  Walker 
  first 
  described 
  the 
  female 
  of 
  this 
  remark- 
  

   able 
  species, 
  and 
  included 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  genus 
  Cirrosjoilus, 
  by 
  mistake 
  

   supposing 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  male 
  ; 
  but 
  on 
  my 
  presenting 
  him 
  with 
  ex- 
  

   amples 
  of 
  the 
  sexes 
  of 
  Melittobia, 
  he 
  instantly 
  recognized 
  his 
  spe- 
  

   cies 
  C. 
  Acasta 
  in 
  the 
  female. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  notice 
  of 
  the 
  male 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  Mr. 
  Westwood's 
  

   Introduction 
  to 
  the 
  Modern 
  Classification 
  of 
  Insects, 
  vol. 
  2, 
  

   p. 
  160; 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Proceedings 
  of 
  the 
  Entomological 
  Society 
  for 
  

   1848 
  he 
  pointed 
  out 
  the 
  prominent 
  generic 
  characteristics, 
  pro- 
  

   posing 
  the 
  name 
  Melittobia 
  for 
  the 
  genus 
  ; 
  and 
  in 
  1849 
  Mr. 
  New- 
  

   port's 
  first 
  paper 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  insect 
  was 
  read 
  before 
  the 
  Linnaean 
  

   Society; 
  the 
  above 
  data 
  will 
  therefore 
  show 
  the 
  necessity 
  for 
  

   adopting 
  Mr. 
  Westwood's 
  name 
  Melittobia 
  for 
  the 
  genus, 
  and 
  

   Mr. 
  Walker's 
  name 
  Acasta 
  for 
  the 
  species. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Newport's 
  first 
  paper 
  on 
  this 
  insect 
  was 
  read 
  to 
  the 
  above 
  

   Society 
  in 
  the 
  year 
  1849, 
  since 
  which 
  time 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  exceedingly 
  

   anxious 
  to 
  obtain 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  parasite 
  through 
  personal 
  

  

  * 
  Since 
  the 
  reading 
  of 
  this 
  paper, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  insect 
  was 
  mentioned 
  by 
  

   Mr. 
  Newport's 
  name 
  Anthophorahia 
  retiisa, 
  (see 
  Proc. 
  p. 
  135,) 
  Rlr. 
  Walker 
  has 
  

   informed 
  me 
  that 
  he 
  had 
  described 
  the 
  bee-parasite 
  in 
  1839. 
  Tiie 
  synonomy 
  

   will 
  therefore 
  stand 
  as 
  foilous: 
  — 
  

  

  Cinospilus 
  Aciisia, 
  Walk. 
  Mon. 
  Chaic. 
  Add. 
  p. 
  32P, 
  ■} 
  (1839). 
  

  

  Melittobia 
  Audouiuii, 
  West. 
  Proc. 
  Enlom. 
  Soc. 
  Lond. 
  p. 
  xviii. 
  $ 
  (1847). 
  

  

  Ainlipphnrabia 
  reiusa, 
  Newp. 
  Trans. 
  Linn. 
  Soc. 
  xxi. 
  p. 
  63, 
  $ 
  $ 
  (1852). 
  

  

  