( lxvi ) 



applies no doubt to New Guinea also, where about 14 species 

 are known, and a few more are described in Ridley's paper on 

 the botany of the Utakwa expedition, which will be out shortly. 

 The highest altitude recorded in New Guinea for Loranthus is 

 2000 metres, which would be well below the tree line. The 

 island is, however, very imperfectly explored. Mr. Ridley 

 tells me that in the Malay Peninsula Loranthus is often found 

 on the mountain tops on stunted trees and shrubs." 



POLISTES GALLICUS, L., TAKEN IN BRITAIN. — The Rev. 



F. D. Morice exhibited a worker of the social wasp Polistes 

 gallicus, L., taken by Mr. J. W. H. Harrison on the day after 

 August Bank Holiday 1915 at Wolsingham, " in the hilly 

 west of Co. Durham, at about 1200 ft., far away from the sea 

 or even houses." 



The exhibitor made the following comments : — 



It seems that for some reason this wasp, so common in all 

 other parts of the Palaearctic Region from Scandinavia to 

 Algeria and Syria, is unable to effect a permanent settlement 

 in these islands. From time to time individuals reach our 

 seaports ; and as their nests (of which I exhibit also a specimen 

 from Majorca) are attached to all kinds of easily transport- 

 able objects, stones, planks, growing plants, such as reeds and 

 even grasses, etc., etc., a whole colony might easily be brought 

 over accidentally. But, so far as I know, no such case has 

 been reported, only isolated captures of individuals (e. g. 

 Major Robertson lately took one near Southampton), and 

 almost always under circumstances which suggest that they 

 have come from some French or Spanish port, in some vessel 

 whose cargo had attracted them. 



In 1866, and again in 1867, specimens of another Polistes 

 species were taken at Penzance, and the late Frederick Smith 

 (Entomologist's Annual, 1869, p. 68) inquired fully into the 

 circumstances of the capture, with the result that the insects 

 were practically proved to have been brought from South 

 America in two voyages of the same vessel laden with hides. 



It is possible, and even perhaps most probable, that the 

 Durham specimen was similarly imported from Norway. 

 But, even if so, I think it is worth exhibiting; since it has 

 at least made its way to a much more inland British locality 



