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would choose a decaying tree, preferring the stump of an old 

 willow ; at other times it burrowed in the mortar of old 

 walls, or availed itself of the lock of an old building, or a 

 cavity in the flint stones used for garden walls ; in fact, the 

 family seemed to have adopted the system of giving them- 

 selves as little labour as possible as regards their homesteads. 

 Even musical instruments did not come amiss to them ; for 

 in the National Collection at South Kensington there was a 

 fife which was completely occupied by the cells of this bee. 

 The genus contained probably sixty to sixty-five species, 

 ranging over Europe, North Africa, the United States, Nova 

 Scotia, and Hudson's Bay ; but only ten species occurred in 

 this country. 



Mr. West (Streatham) exhibited a number of Alpine 

 plants, including Edelweiss, Alpine Rose {Rhododendron 

 hirsutum), and AlcJiemilla alpina. 



Mr. Goldthwaite said he had received a letter from 

 Mr. Barclay, in which he stated that Sphinx convolvuli^ L., 

 was extremely abundant at Cromer, he being able to take 

 dozens in an evening. 



Mr. J. T. Williams said eighteen had been taken by a lad 

 in a garden at Sidcup, Kent, flying over the white tobacco 

 plant ; while a lad in the adjoining garden, not having any 

 tobacco plants, had sugared for convolvuli, but without 

 success. 



Mr. Cooper said he had heard of several being taken in 

 and around Stratford. 



Mr. Tutt said it seemed general this year, as he had 

 heard of captures in Somerset and Kent. 



Mr. Sheldon said several had been seen at Croydon ; 

 and many other members reported the appearance of this 

 species in England. 



Mr, J. Jenner Weir stated that he had recently seen in 

 the Jardin d' Acclimation in Paris five hybrids, between the 

 goat and sheep, four females and one male, presented to the 

 Directors of the Gardens by the President of the Republic of 

 Chili, which were said to be a cross between a he-goat and a 

 ewe, the ram and two of the ewes being of a grey colour, the 



