S-2H VARIETIES. 



farmer's magazine. rusticus. 



" It occurred to the experimentalist " I accordingly made some pretty 



to attack these eggs, which he did by strong- brine, and soaV:ed the seed in it 



making a pretty strong brine, in which for twenty-four hours ; then dried it 



the seed was soaked for twenty-four thoroughly, and with all the precau- 



hours, taken out, dried, and sowed ; tions I have mentioned above, I sowed 



the plants rose freely, on which nei- it again, and with a kind of success — 



ther grub, fly, nor beetle was to be there was not a single fly, but neither 



seen." teas there a turnip." 



The plan of thus misrepresenting an author in good repute is 

 now of every day occurrence : when pointed out, the com- 

 mentator quietly eats his own words, laughing in his sleeve at 

 the mischief he has done to a brother candidate for public 

 favour, and apparently losing nothing in the esteem of those 

 who would rather perish than be guilty of such actions. — Ed. 



33. Metamorphosis of Insects. — A paper on this subject, 

 by Mr. Newman, has been read at the Linnaean Society ; as its 

 substance will eventually appear in this Magazine, either as 

 original matter or as a review, we abstain from giving an 

 abstract ; its main object appeared to us to be the con- 

 firmation of the septenary system, as proposed in Sj^hin.v 

 Vespiformis. — E d. 



34. Bombus opening the Nectary of Floivers. — I have 

 observed the great humble bee, Bombus terrestris, extracting 

 the honey from the nectaries of the common Columbine ; and, 

 as I think the modus operandi has not hitherto been in print, 

 I will relate it. The bee settles on the outside of the flower, 

 looking upwards, then bites a small hole in the nectai'y with 

 its mandibles, and instantly thrusts its proboscis into the 

 aperture. On examining a number of flowers, not less than 

 250, I found that at least two-thirds of them were thus 

 perforated. 



E. N. D. 



35. Entomological Club Dinner. — This was solemnized at 

 the Bull Inn, Birch Wood, on the 21st of May last. Mr. 

 Davis took the chair, and we observed among the company 

 Messrs. Bowerbank, Hanson, Walker, Newman, Walton, 

 W. Christy, J. Christy, Hoyer, Letts, Bennett, Bevington, &c. 



