92 



HYMENOPTERA. 



the early part of summer had been unusually cold and wet, 

 which fully accounted for this scarcity. 



An Entomological friend found the nest of one of the 

 brown surface builders, constructed of cow's hair, but whence 

 the bees had obtained it he could not ascertain. I have re- 

 corded the fact of one of these bees building with horsehair, 

 in which instance the bees were observed collecting it from 

 the currying of horses thrown into the loophole of a stable 

 wall. My acquaintance also ])icked up a disabled Bomhus, 

 that had a specimen of the well-known Coleopterous insect 

 — Antherophagus nigricornis—cYmgmg to its palpi. 



I have several times found Antherophagus pallens in the 

 nest of Boinbus muscorum, and have supposed it to have 

 been attracted there by the store of honey ; these beetles, 

 being-flower frequenting species, are probably in the habit 

 of attaching themselves to the bees when they are rifling 

 the flowers of their sweets, and so get conveyed into their 

 nests. 



Mr. Packard informs us that the larvje of Bombi are at- 

 tacked by those of the genus 3Iel'6ej but he has not given 

 any particulars of the development of the parasite, or 

 whether any American Entomologist has traced the history 

 of it, so as to confirm the statement satisfactorily. The 

 Bombi are also said to be attacked by some species of 

 Stylops, a circumstance not hitherto observed in Europe ; 

 it would be extremely interesting to ascertain the genus to 

 which the parasite belongs. 



Several interesting captures and observations have been 

 made of different species of Formicidce ; of the Myrmica 

 unifasciata^ of which I possessed the only British example 

 in this country, Mr. Pascoe took a specimen in the Isle of 

 Wight, my own example having been found by Mr. Lewis, 

 some years ago, at the land-slip, at no great distance from 



