﻿( 
  xxvi 
  ) 
  

  

  E.rldbitions, 
  dc. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  W. 
  F. 
  Kirby 
  exhibited 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  dark-coloured 
  

   form 
  of 
  Apis 
  reared 
  by 
  Mr. 
  John 
  Hewett, 
  of 
  Sheffield, 
  from 
  

   bees 
  imported 
  from 
  Tunis. 
  He 
  said 
  that 
  Mr. 
  Hewett 
  proposed 
  

   to 
  call 
  them 
  "Punic 
  Bees," 
  and 
  had 
  distributed 
  them 
  under 
  

   this 
  name, 
  -wljich, 
  if 
  the 
  race 
  be 
  considered 
  sufficiently 
  distinct, 
  

   might 
  as 
  well 
  be 
  retained 
  for 
  them. 
  They 
  are 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  

   black 
  Apis 
  unicolor, 
  Latr., 
  of 
  Mauritius 
  and 
  Bourbon, 
  and 
  are 
  

   almost 
  entirely 
  black, 
  except 
  the 
  legs, 
  which 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  

   less 
  reddish 
  colour 
  ; 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  trace 
  of 
  red 
  colouring 
  

   on 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen, 
  which 
  is 
  almost 
  invariably 
  the 
  

   case 
  in 
  typical 
  specimens 
  of 
  Apis 
  mellifica, 
  L. 
  Mr. 
  Kirby 
  

   stated 
  that 
  Mr. 
  Hewett 
  had 
  informed 
  him 
  that 
  these 
  bees 
  are 
  

   remarkable 
  for 
  their 
  peaceable 
  disposition, 
  and 
  their 
  unwilling- 
  

   ness 
  to 
  use 
  their 
  stings 
  ; 
  and 
  also 
  for 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  workers 
  

   are 
  much 
  more 
  frequently 
  fertile 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  

   hive-bee, 
  with 
  which, 
  however, 
  these 
  black 
  bees 
  wdll 
  freely 
  

   hybridize. 
  He 
  further 
  said 
  that 
  Mr. 
  Hewett 
  had 
  told 
  him 
  

   that 
  he 
  had 
  made 
  some 
  important 
  original 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  

   fertility 
  of 
  workers, 
  which 
  he 
  would 
  be 
  pleased 
  to 
  communicate 
  

   to 
  the 
  Society. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  C. 
  Gr. 
  Barrett 
  exhibited 
  five 
  melauic 
  specimens 
  of 
  

   Aplecta 
  nehulom, 
  reared 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Collins, 
  of 
  Warrington, 
  h'om 
  

   larvae 
  collected 
  in 
  Delamere 
  Forest, 
  Cheshire, 
  and 
  described 
  

   by 
  him 
  in 
  the 
  ' 
  Proceedings 
  of 
  the 
  Lancashire 
  and 
  Cheshire 
  

   Natural 
  History 
  Society,' 
  as 
  A. 
  nehnlosa, 
  var. 
  Rohsoni, 
  in 
  

   honour 
  of 
  Mr. 
  John 
  E. 
  Robson, 
  of 
  Hartlepool. 
  Mr. 
  Barrett 
  

   also 
  exhibited 
  a 
  beautiful 
  variety 
  of 
  Argijiinis 
  aglaia, 
  taken 
  in 
  

   Norfolk 
  by 
  Dr. 
  F. 
  D. 
  Wheeler, 
  and 
  two 
  specimens 
  (male 
  and 
  

   female) 
  of 
  LyccBua 
  argiacles, 
  taken 
  in 
  August, 
  1885, 
  on 
  Blox- 
  

   wovth 
  Heath, 
  Dorsetshire, 
  by 
  Mr. 
  C. 
  0. 
  Pickard 
  Cambridge 
  

   and 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  Pickard 
  Cambridge 
  respectively. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  H. 
  St. 
  John 
  Donnisthorpe 
  exhibited 
  a 
  collection 
  of 
  

   Coleoptera, 
  made 
  in 
  a 
  London 
  granary 
  in 
  1890 
  and 
  1891. 
  

   The 
  collection 
  included 
  the 
  following 
  species 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Sphodrus 
  leucophthaJmus, 
  L., 
  Pristonijchus 
  terricola, 
  Hbst., 
  

   Calathus 
  cistdoidex 
  , 
  Pz., 
  Qucdius 
  fiihjidus, 
  Gr., 
  Q. 
  fuUi/inosus, 
  

   Gr., 
  Crcopldlus 
  maxiUosus, 
  L., 
  Omalium 
  concin)ium, 
  j\Iarsh, 
  

  

  