Miscella nies. 2 IS 



were submitted together in a brasqued crucible, to an ordinary assay- 

 heat : the result was, iron and scoria 15-42 5 i'^o" alone, 12*90. 

 Then 100 parts of the ore contain 64-50 of metal, which appear- 

 ed to have all the properties of steel. 



27. A Parasite of the Honey Bee,^ [Apis mellijica.'] — For a few 

 years past, many of those people, in this vicinity, who have apiaries, 

 have found that in the month of April, May and June, an unusual 

 mortality has prevailed among their bees. This circumstance has led 

 to a thorough investigation of the cause, by those, who have felt a 

 particular interest, in the products of this valuable insect ; .and the 

 result has proved, that this mortality has been produced entirely by 

 a parasite. 



More than two years since, one of my neighbors, suggested to me 

 his conjectures, that there was a parasite fly, that was injurious to the 

 honey bee ; since which time, we have fully ascertained the fact. I 

 have, a box, now before me, containing a great number of dead bees 

 in which may be found the parasites, in both the pupa and the per- 

 fect state. Usually the bees become sickly, and unable to fly, when 

 the parasites are in the larva state ; but they sometimes live till the 

 perfect insect emerges from the pupa. The larva is fixed at the in- 

 osculations of the dorsal segments of the abdomen of the bee, and is 

 hardly discoverable by the eye unless the abdomen be dissected. 

 The larva is white, nearly two lines in length, and very much resem- 

 bles a small worm or maggot. The pupa is nearly the size of the 

 larva, and of a reddish brown color. The perfect insect is a 

 non-descript, and bears very little resemblance to the [Stylopsi or 

 [Xenos] or any other insect, that has been found to be a parasite of 

 the bee or wasp. It is of the class Diptera of Lin. — is little larger 

 than the Hessian fly, but in color and form, it is very unlike that in- 

 sect. 



Kirby, many years since discovered that the insect (Stylops) was a 

 parasite in the black-bronze bee, [Andrena nigrocenea,) in England, 

 and Professor Peck, afterwards found that the {Xenos) was a para- 



* To Professor Silliman, — Dear Sir. — Having fully ascertained that we have an 

 insect, that is a Parasite of the Honey Bee [Apis mellijica,] and being unable to find 

 any description of it, in any treatise on Entomology, v^hich has fallen under my 

 view, I send you the following communication, on the subject, for publication, in 

 your valuable Journal of Science, &c. should you think it deserving a place. 



I am Yours Respectfully. 



Fayelteville, Vt., May 15, 1833. Martin Field. 



