﻿Habits 
  of 
  a 
  Bee-parasite, 
  Melittohia 
  Acasta. 
  251 
  

  

  this 
  was 
  in 
  1831: 
  in 
  1851 
  the 
  parasites 
  were 
  rediscovered, 
  and 
  

   accurate 
  characters 
  were 
  then 
  given 
  ; 
  with 
  the 
  latter 
  my 
  own 
  

   insects 
  agree, 
  

  

  A 
  question 
  of 
  nnuch 
  interest 
  has 
  arisen 
  from 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  Mr. 
  

   Westwood 
  having 
  in 
  his 
  " 
  Introduction," 
  vol. 
  ii. 
  p. 
  IGO, 
  described 
  

   an 
  insect 
  communicated 
  to 
  him 
  by 
  M. 
  Audouin, 
  which 
  was 
  found 
  

   in 
  the 
  nests 
  of 
  /Intlwphora, 
  Osmia 
  and 
  Odynerus. 
  Mr. 
  Westwood 
  

   describes 
  the 
  male 
  as 
  having 
  " 
  most 
  singular 
  antennae 
  and 
  minute 
  

   rudiments 
  of 
  wings, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  quit 
  the 
  cell 
  ;" 
  from 
  these 
  

   characters, 
  all 
  possessed 
  by 
  the 
  A 
  nthophorabia 
  of 
  Mr. 
  Newport, 
  it 
  

   has 
  appeared 
  highly 
  probable 
  that 
  the 
  latter 
  insect 
  might 
  be 
  iden- 
  

   tical 
  with 
  Anlhopliorahia, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  regretted 
  that 
  a 
  question 
  

   so 
  easy 
  of 
  solution 
  has 
  not 
  long 
  since 
  been 
  decided. 
  It 
  has 
  fallen 
  

   to 
  my 
  lot 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  first 
  opportunity 
  of 
  comparing 
  the 
  two 
  

   insects.* 
  In 
  consequence 
  of 
  apparent 
  discrepancies 
  their 
  identity 
  

   has 
  been 
  deemed 
  impossible 
  ; 
  but 
  when 
  I 
  point 
  out 
  the 
  way 
  in 
  

   which 
  these 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  accounted 
  for, 
  the 
  objections 
  will 
  at 
  once 
  

   disappear. 
  It 
  must 
  be 
  borne 
  in 
  mind 
  that 
  Mr. 
  Newport's 
  descrip- 
  

   tions 
  are 
  from 
  either 
  living 
  or 
  very 
  fresh 
  specimens, 
  and 
  that 
  

   many 
  of 
  the 
  characteristics 
  of 
  such 
  individuals 
  are 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  

   observed 
  in 
  a 
  dried 
  specimen 
  ; 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  of 
  so 
  delicate 
  a 
  

   texture, 
  so 
  semitransparent, 
  and 
  exhibit 
  colours 
  which 
  soon 
  after 
  

   death 
  entirely 
  disappear; 
  thus, 
  the 
  convex 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  insect 
  

   sometimes 
  falls 
  in, 
  the 
  thorax 
  becomes 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  distorted, 
  the 
  

   abdomen 
  no 
  longer 
  shows 
  the 
  transverse 
  fasciae 
  or 
  retains 
  its 
  

   original 
  form 
  ; 
  the 
  dark 
  stains 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  which 
  

   mark 
  the 
  usual 
  situation 
  of 
  the 
  compound 
  eyes 
  in 
  insects, 
  in 
  most 
  

   cases 
  entirely 
  disappear 
  to 
  the 
  naked 
  eye 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  under 
  all 
  

   these 
  disadvantages 
  that 
  the 
  short 
  and 
  merely 
  general 
  description 
  

   was 
  made, 
  so 
  that 
  we 
  need 
  not 
  be 
  at 
  all 
  surprised 
  at 
  finding 
  it 
  

   stated 
  that 
  the 
  eyes 
  and 
  stemmata 
  are 
  wanting. 
  I 
  have 
  most 
  

   carefully 
  compared 
  the 
  insects, 
  aided 
  by 
  a 
  powerful 
  microscope. 
  

   I 
  have 
  been 
  solely 
  prompted 
  by 
  a 
  desire 
  of 
  arriving 
  at 
  the 
  truth 
  ; 
  

   and 
  although 
  the 
  stains 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  in 
  Mr. 
  West- 
  

   wood's 
  insect 
  are 
  no 
  longer 
  visible, 
  still 
  I 
  have 
  detected 
  the 
  simple 
  

   ocellus 
  which 
  exists 
  in 
  Anthophorabia 
  in 
  the 
  situation 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  

   compound 
  eye 
  ; 
  the 
  ocelli 
  are 
  also 
  present, 
  and 
  the 
  antenna 
  are 
  

   identical 
  in 
  form, 
  each 
  joint 
  in 
  fact 
  the 
  counterpart 
  of 
  that 
  of 
  An- 
  

   thophorabia. 
  These 
  circumstances, 
  combined 
  with 
  those 
  stated 
  

   above, 
  convince 
  me 
  that 
  the 
  insects 
  are 
  mutually 
  identical 
  ; 
  such 
  

   is 
  my 
  opinion 
  of 
  them 
  specifically, 
  and 
  of 
  their 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  

  

  * 
  Mr. 
  Westwood 
  having 
  presented 
  specimens 
  of 
  Melittohia 
  lo 
  the 
  British 
  

   Museum 
  some 
  time 
  ago. 
  

  

  