The Zoologist — February, 18(i9. 1565 



developed with remarkable rapidity, having remained less than a week in the chrysalis 

 state. 



Mr. Bond also exhibited a dark variety of the female Apatura Iiis, and a very 

 pale variety of Hesperia Comma. 



Mr. E. G. Meek exhibited specimens of Dianthcecia Barrettii, captured by Mr. 

 Gregson, in Ireland. 



Mr. W. C. Boyd exhibited a specimen of Crambus myelins, captnred by Mr. Adam 

 Boyd some time since near Blair Athol, and which had remained mixed in Mr. Bnyd's 

 collection with C. pinetellus, until his attention was called to it by the announcement 

 at the previous Meeting. , 



The Secretary exhibited photographs of nests of Vespa Britannica and V. arborea, 

 presented to the Society by Mr. John Hogg, by whom the nests were found at Norton, 

 Durham. 



Mr. F. Smith exhibited a series of drawings of bees and wasps and their respective 

 nests, and a number of the actual nests, collected in India by Mr. Charles Home. 



Mr. Home (who was pre.sent as a visitor) gave some interesting details on the habits 

 of the insects. The species of bee which was kept by the natives was, he believed, the 

 Apis dorsata. In the North-west Provinces, it was necessary to leave the key in every 

 lock, or the cavity was pretty sure to be occupied by a Pelopseus: if a sheet of paper 

 was left on a mantel-shelf, it would be fixed thereto by an inserted mud-cell ; or a like 

 cell might often be found interposed between a pillow and the bed; even a little 

 hollow in the floor, in spite of the inevitable destruction of the nest, would be filled ; 

 and in one case he had known a nest to be placed on the edge of a door, and it was 

 seven times crushed by the shutting of the door, and seven times renewed before the 

 little bee could be induced to forsake the spot she had chosen. Some of the nests 

 exhibited were placed in very singular positions; one, of a leaf-cutting bee, was in the 

 handle or ear of a terra cotta vase, access being obtained through a small hole in the 

 narrow lower end of the handle ; another, belonging to a Pelopaeus, and consisting of 

 a single mud-cell, was attached to a man's signet or finger-ring the stone of which had 

 fallen out, and was fastened to the metal by means of a coil or knot of mud passed 

 through the hole where the stone had been; a third nest of a bee consisted of a 

 spherical mass of cells which was found in the centre (filling up the whole hollow) of 

 the nest of a mouse, which was suspended in grass. 



Prof Weslwood mentioned that at Oxford he had found a mouse's nest in the 

 centre of one of his bee-hives, surrounded by a number of headless bees. 



Mr. Home also e.\hibited a strong earthern cocoon, dug out of the grouiM, and 

 containing a large species of Sternocera : he had frequently found the perfect beetle 

 thus encased, and it was the regular habit of this species of Buprestidje. (Compare 

 the habit of Lucanus cervus, lately reported.) 



Prof Westwood exhibited drawings and gave some account of various remarkable 

 insects, including (1) a species of Leptocorisa (Cimicida?, Coreida;) sent by Mr. 

 Thwaites, from Ceylon, where it was very injurious to the rice crop, sucking the juices 

 of the plant— it was probably identical with the local variety of Cimex varicornis which 

 be (Prof. Westwood) had described under the name Bengalensis ; (2) an Ichneumon 

 and an Epeira, the larva of the former being an external parasite on the body of the 

 spider; other instances of external parasitic larvae were, Eulophus (Chalcidids) on a 

 willow-gall saw-fly, and larvic of a Scolia on larva; of the Lamellicorn beetle, Oryctes ; 



