George : Some British Eartlwiites. 427 



from the place where Mr. Varley found his dead bees. This, he 

 thought, confirmed Mr. Smith's theory. 



My specimens were exhibited at a meeting of the Bradford 

 Natural History and Microscopical Society, the circumstances 

 related above were detailed, and several members expressed 

 the opinion that this destruction of bees was not the work of 

 birds. At a more recent meeting, Mr. F. Booth gave an interest- 

 ing solution of the problem from information given him by 

 Mr. Wood, gardener to Mr. Firth, of Saltaire, and an ardent 

 apiculturist. 



In August 1909, Mr. Wood stated that a large lime tree in 

 the garden at Saltaire was in full flower, and was visited by 

 thousands of bees, and that large numbers were found daily, 

 dead and dying, on the ground underneath. After a few days 

 he determined to find the cause of this. A ladder was placed 

 in a position so that he could see the whole proceedings. A bee 

 was located as it was feeding on a flower. Presently a wasp 

 suddenly descended and settled on its back ; both fell to the 

 ground, and after a brief struggle the bee became quiescent, 

 and evidently exhausted, when the wasp at once began its 

 work of mutilation, and soon cleared it of its contents. Bee 

 after bee dropped to the ground, each in the grasp of a wasp, 

 and exactly the same process was repeated. Thus the mystery 

 was unravelled. 



SOME BRITISH EARTHMITES. 



Rn YNCHOLOPIilDCE. 



C. F. GEORGE, M.R.C.S., 



Kirton-in-L iiidsey. 



Rhyncolophus communis.— In the July number of ' The 

 NaturaHst ' for 1907, page 259, I gave a description of a Ryhn- 

 cholophus which I was not able to name, nor have I yet seen 

 or met with a figure or description of the mite recorded by 

 anyone. It is evidently fairly common, and being of con- 

 siderable size, must be very conspicuous, and tolerably nimble. 

 Mr. Soar's figure, on page 260 of the same number of " The 

 Naturahst ' was drawn from a mounted specimen from Guern- 

 sey. The body was flattened and out of shape by pressure ; 

 but was otherwise characteristic. I have, however, received 



1910 Dec. I. 



