1890.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 41 



conclusion that they were distinct, and that the nest belonged to 

 B. americanorum. On September 9th I saw the sexes of this 

 species in copula. The same night I opened two nests, one con- 

 taining 10 females, 46 workers and 10 males, and the other con- 

 taining 9 females, 51 workers and i male. 



The female of B. americanorum has the vertex always black; 

 the scutellum black, or with a little yellow; the first segment of 

 the abdomen yellow; seen from above, the base of the labrum 

 shows two tubercles separated by a wide interval. 



The males of B. americanorum and of B. fervidus may prove 

 to be very much alike. Indeed the $ of B. americanorum re- 

 sembles the 9 of B. fervidus more than its own female; but I 

 think B. americanorum is more nearly related to B. fervidus than 

 it is to B. pennsylva7iicus. B. fervidus is verx Jare in my neigh- 

 borhood, as I have seen but two female speeimerfs. In Proc. 

 Ent. Soc. Ill, 247, Walsh mentions finding B. fervidus $ sur- 

 mounted by Apathus elatus "$ . He was discussiq^ the effect of 

 mimicry, and he cites this as a case in which a Bombus mistook 

 an Apathus for one of its ow^n species. But the mistake was 

 probably on the part of the entomologist; he had, no doubt, 

 taken the true sexes of B. fervidus. 



Notes and Nev^s. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL GLEANINGS FROM ALL QUARTERS 

 OF THE GLOBE. 



[The Conductors of Entomological News solicit, and will thankfully receive items 

 of news, likely to interest its readers, from any source. The author's name will be given 

 in each case tor the information of cataloguers and bibliographers.] 



Scientific Research in Mexico. — An important scientific explora- 

 tion is to be made of the less known portions of Yucatan and Mexico, re- 

 gions which have not hitherto been systematically explored by naturalists, 

 except in so far as archaeology' is concerned. It is the object of the expe- 

 dition to ascertain, as a continuation of former explorations in Florida, the 

 general structure of the basin of the Gulf of Mexico, concerning which 

 there is much diversity of opinion among scientists. 



The exploration will comprise, besides the geological examination of 

 the region, a close examination of its zoology and botany, towards which 

 end specialists in various departments of science will accompany the expe- 

 dition. The party will be under the leadership of Prof Angelo Heilprin, 



