131 



fully assured the outer walls would not have been carried up in angular 

 planes of a hexagon, for in that case the form of the outer portion of 

 the cells would be semicircular. But wasps not only build hexagonal 

 cells, but sometimes, as is the case with a South-American species, 

 Apoica pallida, they occasionally construct hexagonal combs. Beau- 

 tiful examples of this form may be seen in the nest room at the 

 British Museum. 



In the twenty-third volume of the 'Transactions of the Linnean 

 Society,' published in March last, will be found one of the most im- 

 portant contributions to the Science of Entomology that has perhaps 

 appeared during the past year. It is entitled " Contributions to an 

 Insect Fauna of the Amazon Valley," by Mr. H. W. Bates. The 

 personal observations of the author, in a country that may not inajjtly 

 be called the Metropolis of the insect world, must be of the highest 

 interest to every entomologist. The subject of mimetic resemblances, 

 or mimicry of species, amongst the Heliconiidse brought before 

 the reader is deeply interesting, and the deductions which Mr. 

 Bates has drawn from these remarkable instances are equally start- 

 ling and conclusive. I would strongly recommend those who have 

 not perused this paper to do so ; it abounds in passages of the deepest 

 interest. 



Of the ' Journal of Entomology ' two parts have appeared during 

 the year 1862. They contain papers by Messrs. Bates, Pascoe, 

 Smith, Walker, Wollaston and the Eev. Hamlet Clark ; they are illus- 

 trated by seven beautiful plates. These parts conclude the first 

 volume of the work, and I think I may say that there are few volumes, 

 if any, that have appeared in this country on the Science of Entomo- 

 logy on which English entomologists have more reason to congratu- 

 late themselves ; the work is entirely that of Members of this 

 Society. 



*A Manual of European Butterflies,' by Mr. W. F. Kirby, has 

 appeared during the past year. Great care has evidently been 

 bestowed upon this little work, the result being, in the opinion of one 

 of our best Lepidopterists, a work of much promise, showing that the 

 author possesses a competent knowledge of his subject. 



I have thus taken a rapid survey of some of the more important 

 events that have transpired during the past year, and have briefly 

 enumerated the various periodicals published in this country in which 

 entomological papers have appeared ; I fear the list v»dll be found far 

 from being complete. I have left to others, who now regularly pub- 

 lish a complete register of Entomological publications, the task which 



