310 Linncean Society : — 



June 20. — Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Read an extract from a Letter dated " Santarem, 27th March, 

 1854," addressed to Samuel Stevens, Esq., F.L.S., by Mr. H. W. 

 Bates, " On some Particulars in the Natural History and Habits of 

 Termites." 



" It is curious," Mr. Bates says, " that for two months before re- 

 ceiving your last letter, I have been attending to the Termites. I 

 began first to look for M. Schiodte's new StaphyVmi, and ended by be- 

 coming greatly interested in the Termites, without, however, finding 

 the Staphylini. Some of the results of ray examination up to the 

 present date I intend to send on a separate sheet ; the specimens will 

 follow next month. I have examined about a hutidred colonies. 

 Some of the results I have come to are, — that there are no truly 

 apterous imagos ; that there are onl)' two kinds of larvae, fighters and 

 workers ; that a large hillock is always an agglomeration of many 

 very distinct species, which build with very different materials ; that 

 some species cherish only one ? and one S adult in a colony, 

 whilst others have a gi-eat number (50 or 100) adults, the S and 

 $ in about equal numbers ; lastly, I have detected a very good 

 character to distinguish S and $ in the pvpa and adult states, and 

 have found pupae in various stages of growth or ecdysis, without, 

 however, as yet detecting the first moult from the larva to the pupa, 

 to decide what becomes of the monstrous apophyses of the head, and 

 the mandibles of the soldier (fighter) larva." 



Read also a Letter addressed to the Secretary by Dr. George 

 Buist, " On the Construction of the Nest of a Species of Mason- 

 Wasp in the Neighbourhood of Bombay." 



. " I observe," says Dr. Buist, " that some specimens of the nest of 

 the Mason- Wasp or bee from India were placed before a late meeting 

 of your Society. Perhaps the following account of the habits of 

 this curious insect may interest you ; they are given from personal 

 observation. The male of the mason-bee is about twice the size of 

 the common wasp, but nearly of the same colours ; the thin portion 

 which unites the thorax and abdomen being nearly an eighth of an 

 inch in length, and scarcely thicker than a horse's hair. The female 

 is about one-eighth this size, and of a bright shining bottle-green, 

 like a blistering fly. She bears no resemblance to the male, and 

 they are only seen together when the eggs are being laid. Earlv in 

 October, so soon as the rains are fairly over, the mason-bee begins 

 to build. Having selected a spot for his nest, generally in some 

 quiet corner, to which however there is free access and egress, he 

 approaches with a piece of wet mud about the size of a pea, which 

 he holds with his fore-feet against his breast, close up to his mouth. 

 He first makes a neat thin ring, of about an inch in diameter, and 

 then brings this up by successive additions until it assumes very 

 nearly a spherical form. The opening at the crown is now drawn 

 up like the neck of a bottle, and turned over with a flat lip, an 

 opening being left of about an eighth of an inch in diameter. Two 

 or three of these little dwellings, which take from six to eight hours 



