4002 The Zoologist — May, 1874. 



to him a strong reason for concluding that they are not in the habit of 

 communicating facts. When once wasps had made themselves thoroughly- 

 acquainted with their way, their movements were most regular. They 

 spent three minutes supplying themselves with honey, and then flew 

 straight to the nest, returning after an interval of about ten minutes, and 

 thus making, like the bees, about five journeys an hour. During September 

 they began in the morning at about six o'clock, and later when the mornings 

 began to get cold, and continued to work without intermission till dusk. 

 They made, therefore, rather more than fifty journeys in the day. Sir John 

 had also made some experiments on the behaviour of bees introduced into 

 strange hives, which seemed to contradict the ordinary statement that strange 

 bees are always recognized and attacked. Another point as to which very 

 different opinions have been propounded is the use of the antennae. Some 

 entomologists have regarded them as olfactory organs, some as ears, the 

 weight of authority being perhaps in favour of the latter opinion. In 

 experimenting on his wasps and bees, Sir John, to his surprise, could obtain 

 no evidence that they heard at all. He tried them with a shrill pipe, with 

 a whistle, with a violin, with all the sounds of which his voice was capable, 

 doing so, moreover, within a few inches of their head ; but they continued 

 to feed without the slightest appearance of consciousness. Lastly, he 

 recounted some observations showing that bees have the power of dis- 

 tinguishing colours. The relations of insects to flowers imply that the 

 former can distinguish colour ; but there had been as yet but few direct 

 observations on the point. 



An interesting discussion followed, in which Mr. Robert Warner, Major- 

 General Strachey, Mr. A. W. Bennett, Prof. Newton, Prof. Thiseltou- Dyer, 

 Mr. D. lianbury, Mr. Elliot, of New York, and others took part. 



2. " On Oniscigaster Wakefieldi, a singular insect from New Zealand, 

 belonging to the Family Ephemerida?, with Notes on its Aquatic Condi- 

 tions." By J\Ir. R. M'Lachlan. The author gives full diagnoses of the 

 new species and genus founded on this remarkable insect, forwarded by Mr. 

 C. M. Wakefield from Christchurch, Canterbury Settlement, New Zealand . 

 He has also had the opportunity of examining two individuals on the aquatic 

 conditions of the insect. These are of different ages, and may be termed 

 "larva "and "nymph" respectively, the larger individual having strongly 

 developed rudimentary wings, and being evidently nearly mature, while the 

 smaller one possesses only the thoracic lobes which indicate the position of 

 the wings. These two states are described in detail. This remarkable 

 insect would appear to be common at Christchurch, the cast subimaginal 

 skins being no rarities sticking on walls, windows, &c. The Rev. A. E. 

 Eaton considers the genus allied to Siphlurus, and points out that the 

 structure of the aquatic conditions shows the creature to be of active habits, 

 swimming freely among water-plants in search of its prey, and not semi- 



