Minutes of Proceedings. xiii 



It was a most interesting question how Acherontia, a creature 

 without offensive weapons of any kind, can with impunity invade and 

 plunder a hive guarded by such alert, active, pugnacious, well-armed 

 insects as honey-bees. The accepted opinion hitherto had to all 

 appearance been that the cry of the moth, from its resemblance to that 

 emitted by the queen-bee under certain circumstances, exercised a 

 restraining influence on the bees ; but the recent detailed observations 

 in Madagascar, published by the Rev. C. P. Cory {Antananarivo 

 Annual, fyc, 1889, pp. 47, 48), seem to show that, as far as the 

 Malagasy honey-bee (Apis unicolor) is concerned, the cry of the 

 Death's-Head, so far from deterring or subduing the owners of the 

 hive, rather excited them to attack the assailant. Mr. Cory, indeed, 

 concludes that the immunity of the 'moth consists partly in its bulk 

 and strength, but mainly in the absolute inability of the bees' stings 

 to pierce its dense coat of woolly hair and tough smooth skin, as he 

 has seen crowds of bees clustering on the insect and vainly endeavour- 

 ing to sting it. Mr. Trimen inclined to think, that while the harder 

 parts of the moth's body might effectually resist the stings, the joints 

 of the abdomen would not be impervious. However, this may be, the 

 fact that Acherontia is by some means thoroughly protected from 

 injury by the bees is well established. 



The dependence of the Death's-Head on the Honey-Bee was also 

 pointed out ; and in illustration of it, Mr. Trimen quoted a note by 

 Mr. Melliss (St. Helena, p. 181), to the effect that the moth is said 

 to have first appeared in St. Helena in 1835 and to have been after- 

 wards very plentiful until 1854, when it disappeared almost simul- 

 taneously Avith the Honey-Bee. In 1874, when Mr. Melliss wrote, 

 the moth had just re-appeared, Honey-Bees having been re-introduced 

 & few years previously. 



In regard to the singular cry emitted by the moth when irritated, 

 or molested, Mr. Trimen stated that the mode of its production, so 

 long a matter of dispute, was not yet certainly determined. Among 

 the earlier observers, Reaumur had put it down to friction of the palpi 

 with the proboscis ; Rosel to friction of thorax with abdomen ; Lorey 

 to passage of air through the trachece at the base of the abdomen ; 

 while Passerini placed the seat of the sound in a cavity of the head with 

 contractile muscular walls. Recent authorities had differed much 

 on the subject, and many different parts of the insect had been 

 thought to be instrumental in producing the squeaking cry ; but there 

 was room for further observation, and the hope was expressed that 

 some members of the Society would be able to give their attention to 

 the question. Mr. Trimen mentioned that his own experience rather 

 militated against the view that the head contained the sound-producing 

 apparatus, as he had found when holding the living moth by the sides of 



