1922.) Our Knowledge of the Indian Wasps and Bees. 19 
of other journals: Quite recently he wrote me that he is 
contemplating a classification and check-list of the bees of 
the world showing in what museums various species may 
found This would certainly be a very valuable contribution 
to Apidology and one to which every entomologist will look 
forward, 
We cannot overlook the work of Mr. Ashmead on the 
classification of the Hymenoptera, but unfortunately the 
material at his disposal was not extensive and as a conse- 
quence his work is open to much criticism. His papers 
appeared in the Canadian Entomologist from 1899-1903 and 
Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. 1903. 
The Rev. F. D. Morice and Mr. J. H. Durrant a few 
years ago reproduced a long-lost paper by Panzer in T'rans. 
Ent. Soc. Lond. 1914 and treated it as if it were valid. The 
‘ Erlangen list’ as it is called has, I think, only added con- 
fusion to an already somewhat confused subject, for opinion is 
divided as to its validity. Mr. Morice is a well known autho- 
rity on Hymenoptera. 
own studies have so far been only of a preliminary 
on synonymy, ete , culled from the literature. An annotated 
list of the Hymenoptera of Barkuda, an island in the Chilka 
been published in Rec. Ind. Mus. XX1V, 1922. With regard 
to the genus Xylocopa, | would draw the attention of Indian 
Hymenopterists to a paper by Dr. H. Brauns which gives 
some interesting notes on the wintering habits of South 
African species. Similar work could perhaps be done here by’ 
patient investigators.' At Professor Cockerell’s suggestion 
Mr. 8. H. Ribeiro of the Zoological Survey and I are at 
present drawing up an annotated and synonymic catalogue of 
the bees of India, Burma and Ceylon, and he has promised 
to edit itand to incorporate a number of MS. notes that he 
on a recent visit to Europe. It is probable that we 
will also catalogue the Diploptera and the Fossores. 
At the risk of being guilty of a slight digression I would 


! I believe this paper will be published before long in the Journal of 
the Biological Society of Willowmore, Cape Colony. I hope shortly also 
to publish a note on the life-history and synonymy of Xylocopa aestuans. 
