PARASITES ON' BKES. 



Mr. Riley also read a communication from G. W. Barnes of 

 San Diego, California, in relation to parasites found upon bees 

 in that State. 



The parasite was described as the color of a flaxseed, and easily distin- 

 guishable by the naked eye. It appears usually under the wing of the bee, 

 and adheres with considerable tenacity. It occasionally crawls all over 

 the bee and is quite agile in its movements. The bees affected with the 

 vermin become agitated and move rapidly over the comb, frequently d\ing 

 of injuries. The parasites were first noticed there last year, and have again 

 appeared this season, giving considerable trouble in large apiaries. Spe- 

 cimens of the insects afflicted accompanied the letter, and Mr. Riley pro- 

 nounced them to be the first larvae of the Oil-beetle (Meloe), and probablv 

 of our common species M. angusticollis. It was well known that these 

 larvae attached themselves to bees and were thus carried into the hive, 

 where they usually left the grown bee and attacked the bee-larvse and 

 bee-bread. They there soon change their form entirely, undergoing what 

 is termed hypermetamorphosis. He had not before heard that these insects 

 injured the fully developed bees. The information was valuable if reliable. 



John W. Turner was elected an Associate Member, and the 

 names of J. A. Dacus, Geo. W. Letterman and Dr. G. Hambach 

 were proposed. 



May 15, 1876. 

 Chas. V. Riley, President, in the chair. 



Twelve members present. 



Dr. Engelmann exhibited a specimen of sponge from Elaine, 

 donated to the Academy by Dr. Richardson. 



He also presented the Academy with a specimen of lignite coal 

 of anthracitic character from Peru, the gift of Mr. Theodore P. 

 Gillespie. 



Mr. Riley read extracts from an article by L.J. Dupre "On the 

 Work of the Mound-builders in the Irrigation of the Lower Mis- 

 sissippi." The author took the ground that the lower valley had 

 once been under an extensive system of irrigation. 



Judge Holmes thought this might well be doubted, as in so well 

 watered a country such a system of irrigation seems unnecessary. 

 Dr. Engelmann further pointed out that high-water occurs at a 

 time when it would be an injury rather than a benefit to the 

 growing crops. 



