Insects. 2899 



making their records, to ascertain with certainty the name of the insect to which they 

 wish to allude. Mr. Doubleday could supply the names of Lepidoptera ; Mr. Walker 

 of Diptera, minute Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera ; Mr. Smith of Hymenoptera gene- 

 rally, and Mr. Walton of Coleoptera ; and I have not the least doubt these gentlemen 

 would most willingly give the required assistance. The capture of Agrotis annexa, as 

 recorded in the communication in question, also requires explanation ; this name I 

 believe to have been introduced into our British lists solely by error and it is very pro- 

 perly removed from its place as an ascertained native by Mr. Doubleday : ' Synonymic 

 List,' p. -12. — Edward Newman. 



Correction of a previous error. — I unintentionally misled your readers (Zool. 2884) 

 in stating that I had taken Depressaria Angelicella on Heracleum ; it should have 

 been on Angelica sylvestris. — J. Allen Hill ; Abnondsbury House, August 12, 1850. 



[The remainder of this communication is rendered unintelligible by the abbrevia- 

 tions and omissions of generic names : Mr. Hill's paper in the August number, took 

 me more time to prepare for printing than would be required to write it, and after all, 

 I feel very doubtful whether my version of the Bg's. and Eg's. and Sci's. gives the 

 author's meaning correctly : the Bg. T have rendered " Beginning of" or " by beating " 

 at my own discretion, without any other guide than its position in the sentence. — 

 E. 2V.] 



Curious Anecdote of the Honey Bee. — A curious anecdote has lately been told me 

 relating to that wonderful insect the bee, which you may, perhaps, deem worth re- 

 cording in your Magazine. Mr. Robert Little of Blencowe, in Cumberland, had a 

 swarm of bees which was duly hived, and remained quietly in their new habitation for 

 about five hours, when they left the hive, rose again, and flew across the fields in a 

 straight line to about the distance of a mile, where they settled on an old decayed 

 tree, which, however, was not hollow, nor appeared otherwise to afford them any 

 secure dwelling place. So that after remaining a short time, they again rose into the 

 air, retracing their flight the way they had come, over hedge and ditch, till they had 

 reached the hive they had just left, which they entered, made it their contented abode, 

 without further thoughts of emigration ; pursuing that ceaseless round of industry 

 which holds out a perfect model to all creatures, rational and irrational. I have no 

 doubt of the truth of what I have related ; being, indeed, told of it by the eye-witness, 

 the person who followed the bees throughout the whole of their singular excursion. 

 Is there no inference to be drawn from this curious fact? Here is a host of creatures 

 placed in a new habitation, not of their own selection -. it appears not to have pleased 

 them at first, and that they had knowledge of a dwelling and locality they thought 

 more suitable. This " numerous host," or their leader, or leaders, determined on emi- 

 gration. But on a more critical examination of their new quarters, the first they find 

 more eligible (though objectionable iu some respects, or why did they leave them?) 

 therefore, like wise insects as they are, they determine to return. Here is choice, 

 here is comparison of two objects, and a preference : " if our present situation is not 

 all we could wish, it is at least better than the one we had fancied — we will con- 

 tentedly adopt it, and be no more given to change." — W. Pearson; Border Side, 

 Crosthwaite, near Kendal, July 23, 1850. 



