6S HYMENOPTERA. 



ego^s of Eriocampa orata, without the intervention of the 

 male sex ; this may probably be a suggestion that will be 

 summarily dismissed by many, as quite untenable ; let it 

 however induce other Entomologists to investigate the sub- 

 ject. I have myself, for several years past, lost no oppor- 

 tunity of endeavouring to solve the problem without any 

 satisfactory result ; another person may be more successful 

 in his researches. JEriocampa ovata is not the only saw-fly 

 whose male is unknown, whereas the females are extremely 

 abundant. 



In my communication to the Annual of last year, I gave 

 some account of a species of wasp belonging to the genus 

 Polktes^ which was caught alive by a lady at Penzance in 

 the summer of 1866 ; and again in 1867, three specimens 

 were taken, several others being observed at the same time. 

 I remarked upon its close resemblance to PoZzA7^5&?7?/^^a^w.s, 

 a South American insect, and suggested the possibility of its 

 being an imported species ; but, at the same time, remarked 

 upon the extreme difficulty of suggesting a means whereby 

 it could have been conveyed from South America or Brazil. 



My correspondent undertook to make every inquiiy as to 

 what vessels had entered the harbour from America; in July 

 last I received the following information : *' I think I have 

 at last solved the problem of the Polistes. After trying in vain 

 to obtain any intelligence of shrubs or unsawn wood being 

 imported from South America, a remark of my sister's 

 turned my thoughts in another direction. She told me, that 

 the common wasp is often very troublesome to butchers, 

 by its taste for raw meat. Now there is a regular trade 

 ijetween Penzance and South Am.erica in raw hides, anil it 

 occurred to me as possible, that the South American wasps 

 might have settled on the hides, and so have been wrapped 

 up and entangled in them." 



