ORDINARY MEETING.* 
LIEUT.-GENERAL Sim H. L. Geary, K.C.B., IN THE CHAIR. 
The following elections took place :— 
Members :—Harry Seymour Foster, D.L., F.G.S.; Martin L. Rouset ; 
Rey. R. Ashington Bullen, F.G.8.+ 
AssociATEs :—F. W. Harmer, Esq., J.P., F.G.S.; Capt. Charles H. 
Versturme-Bunbury, R.E. 
The following paper was read by the Author :— 
HORNETS: BRITISH AND FOREIGN (illustrated by 
specimens from the Author's collection). By Rev. F. A. 
Waker, D.D., F.L:S. 
T may almost be regarded as a subject for regret that 
the name of “hornet” should be employed at all to 
designate several species of the genus of hymenopterous 
insects known as Vespa which constitutes one tribe of the 
more comprehensive order Vespide. . 
Of the so-called “hornet” there only exists one British 
representative, namely, Vespa erabro, Hornets, wasps, and 
bees have accordingly been considered by outsiders to 
constitute three distinct tribes, whereas the real fact is: 
that the hornet and the different species of ground wasp, 
of which Vespa vulgaris and V. germanica serve as the 
commonest examples, are far more closely allied in almost 
every particular than are such widely differing genera as 
Vespa, Nomada, Odynerus, Cerceris, Eumenes, Philanthus, Pem- 
phredon, and many more. Yet, by public consent, all the 
above-named genera are termed indifferently and indis- 
criminately wasps, owing to one only mark of similarity, 
namely, their yellow and black banding. In like manner, 
such variou§ tribes as Andrena, Melecta, Osmia, Halietus, 
Apis, ete., the majority of which are of a dark and dusky 
tint, are known as bees. 
* January 7th, 1901. 
+ Trans. from Associates. 
