CURRENT NOTES. 1Ly/ 
seem too extraordinary for the hypothesis of coincidence; and as to the 
other suggestion, it scarcely seems likely that the individuals in one 
brood would emerge so nearly together, and have so short a life, as to 
be almost entirely over within a week.—J. Hi. R. Auten, 19, Chestnut 
Walk, Worcester. 
@{URRENT NOTES AND SHORT NOTICES. 
May we urge upon all contributors to the pages of the magazine 
to send in their articles and notes as early as possible, that our printer 
may have more time to set up the matter, and above all will they 
kindly return all proofs as nearly as possible by the next day. 
The list of Officers and Council of the Entomological Society of 
London for the present year is as follows :—Prestdent, The Hon. N. C. 
Rothschild, M.A., F.Z.8. Treasurer, A. H. Jones. Secretaries, Com- 
mander Jas. J. Walker, M.A., R.N., F.L.8., and the Rev. Geo. Wheeler, 
M.A., F.Z.S. Librarian, Geo. Chas. Champion, A.L.S., F.Z.S. Council, 
A. W. Bacot, H. A. Butler, B.A., B.Sc., T. A. Chapman, M.D., F.Z.S., 
HK. A. Cockayne, M.A., M.D., M.R.C.P., J. C. I. Fryer, M.A., C.J. 
Gahan, M.A., E. Ernest Green, G. B. Longstaff, M.A., M.D., G. 
Meade- Waldo, M.A., L. Neave, M.A., B.Sc., H. Rowland-Brown, M.A., 
and A. EH. Tonge. 
In the Scottish Naturalist for November is a most interesting article 
entitled “‘ Some Observations and Deductions regarding the Habits and 
Biology of the Common Wasp,” by James Ritchie, M.A., D.Sc. In 
dealing with the nest and its contents, based on a July examination he 
notes the size, number of individuals, age and development of the 
colony, the rate of egg-laying, the rate of cell-building, the rate of 
hatching and the amount of earth removed. In this last respect one 
would like to know what was the nature of the debris and where it was 
deposited by the workers, the average size of the grains removed and 
what was done with the larger portions if there were any. The writer 
gives some information as to the working hours and was struck by the 
late hour at which wasps might be noted abroad. At 10 p.m. on one 
occasion he plugged the entrance with cotton wool and cyanide of 
potassium, with the result that in the morning he found no less than 
30 dead wasps outside. As an instance of the resourcefulness of the 
wasps, he relates that on one occasion he had plugged the entrance 
with a cloth saturated with ammonia, and in the morning the wasps 
had opened a new exit and were at work as usual. He gives the size 
of an enormous nest, found by a friend near Hdinburgh, in which 
there were 9 cell-flats, which was estimated to have produced not less 
than 25,000 wasps in the course of the season. 
In the Scottish Naturalist for December Percy H. Grimshaw, 
F'.4.8 has begun a Catalogue of the “ Greville Collection of Chaleididae 
and Proctotrupidae in the Royal Scottish Mugeum,” which, as the 
collection contains a number of Walker’s types, will no doubt be of 
mnch use. We understand that the specimens are in perfect condition 
and beautifully set. In the same number are details with figures of 
the smaller pine beetle, Myclophilus minor.a rarity in Scotland as a rule, 
and a comparison of structure and borings is given with its larger 
relative M. piniperda. ‘This latter article is by Walter Ritchie, B.Sc. 
The Naturalist for December contains a capital article on the 
