THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 215 
stigmatic surface as the insect passed from flower to flower. 
He pointed out the great importance of the insect in the 
economy of nature, as it appeared to be the only agent by 
which the plant was rendered fertile. He directed attention 
to a description of the insect and its habits by Mr. Riley, in 
his ‘Sixth Annual Report of the Insects of Missouri.’ 
Black Hive Bees.—Professor Westwood also exhibited 
some bees, which had been sent to him from Dublin, having 
been found attacking the hives of the honey-bees. They 
were smaller than the honey-bee, and black, and he con- 
sidered them to be merely a degenerated variety of Apis 
mellifica. He suggested the probability of their being 
identical with the “black bees” mentioned by Hiiber. 
Hiiber also had spoken of bees, which he called “‘ Captains,” 
which were furnished with “ coronets” on their heads; but 
he suspected that these coronets might have been merely 
the pollen which the insects had collected. 
Scotch Coleoptera.—Mr. Champion exhibited Amara alpina 
and other beetles, taken at Aviemore, in Inverness-shire. 
Turkey Carpet eaten by a Dipterons larva.—Mr. Grut 
exhibited larva, pupe, and imago, of a Dipterous insect, 
which had been found, in the larva state, in an old Turkey 
carpet. The larva was very long, slender, and serpentiform, 
white and shining, and had somewhat the appearance of a 
wireworm, only much longer, and without feet. Professor 
Westwood thought it might belong to the genus Scenopinus. 
Parasites of a Bat.—Mr. Bond exhibited some minute 
parasites from a bat, probably identical with Argas Pipistrelle; 
and also some Acari from a small species of fly: both were 
from the Isle of Wight. 
Variety of Thecla Rubi.—Mr. W. C. Boyd exhibited two 
specimens of Thecla Rubi from St. Leonard’s Forest, differ- 
ing from the ordinary type in having a pale spot in each fore 
wing. 
Ash-leaves affected by a Dipterous Insect.—Mr. W. Cole. 
exhibited leaves of ash affected by some small Dipterous 
larvee (probably Cecidomyia), which caused the two edges of 
the leaflets to turn upwards and meet above, thus assuming a 
pod-like form. They were from West Wickham Wood. 
Macherium maritimum.—Mr. F. Smith exhibited some 
earthen cocoons found in a salt marsh, at Weymouth, by 
