The Zoologist— July, 1871. 2673 



"Bees swarm twice or oftener in the warm Months of Summer, 

 aud the Drones being come clown, the Master-Bees, wliich are 

 supposed to be Male and Female give notice to the Bee-Master the 

 second time to provide new Quarters for a second Swarm ; and 

 this thej do by their Tones {Out Out) the Male Tone is Base, 

 and the Female, Trehhle ; and they call [Out Out) by turns. 



"The Master-Bees, which are bigger and differ both in Shape 

 and Colour from the rest of the labouring jBees, have their distinct 

 Apartments, which are larger than the rest of the Cells ; and these 

 are commonly in the middle of the Comb, These Master Bees 

 come out with the Swarm, and wherever they light, their Swarm 

 incamps about them. 



When Foreign Enemies endeavour to invade their Kingdom, 

 they fight for their Prince not with their Slings, but their Teeth, 

 and they know in what part the Eneiiiifs Armour is the weakest; 

 which is under the Wings and there they give the deadly Bitej 

 aud then two or three join their strength and draw the Corps out 

 of their Quarters. 



" Sometimes they have Civil wars at home, which oftentimes 

 prove very fatal aud the ruiu of their Monarchy." 



Edwin Birchall, 



Miscellaneous Rural Notes for 1870. By George Roberts. 



[Mr. Roberts, in sending me these Rural Notes, is well aware that they 

 possess no great novelty, but I tbiuk them interesting as a diary of natural- 

 history events carefuUy observed after the manner of Gilbert White, and 

 I like to preserve such diaries for future reference. I have ventured to 

 eliminate a good many remarks on the weather, in the fear of extending the 

 paper to too great a length. — E. Neicman.] 



This year I have been obliged with a series of interesting 

 observations from the neighbourhood of Hovingham, in the North 

 Riding. The observer, Mr. Peter Inchbald, is a well-known York- 

 shire naturalist: his records are distinguished by his initials, and 

 they are also enclosed within parenthesis. 



January. 



9. Missel thrush in song. 

 23. Lark, misSel thrush, wren and hedgesparrow in song. 



