] 994 Insects. 



within it, and occasions the discoloration of the combs and of the entrance to the 

 hive ? " — George Newport, F.R.S., in ' Transactions of the Linnean Society? 



Occurrence of Trigonalys Anglicana in Derbyshire. — I have much pleasure in re- 

 cording the capture of an exceedingly rare hymenopterous insect, Trigonalys Angli- 

 cana, Shuckard. The first British specimen belonging to this genus was described 

 by Mr. Shuckard, in his Monograph on the Aulacidae ( Entomologist, p. 123) : that 

 gentleman had at the time some doubts as to its having been captured in England, 

 or at least he says, " it may or may not have been imported with plants from America." 

 My specimen was taken by Mr. H. W. Bates, in a wood called Repton Shrubs, Derby- 

 shire, about the end of June ; so this clears up the doubt, I think, as regards Mr. Shuc- 

 kard's insect. The genus Trigonalys was characterized by Mr. Westwood, in the Proc. 

 Zool. Soc, 1825, and founded upon an insect from Brazil. Mr. Westwood says that 

 it has the neuration of Myrmosa. Our species differs somewhat from the type, T. mela- 

 noleuca, in this respect. A second species is described by Spinola, in Guerin's Mag. de 

 Zool., 1840, under the generic name of Seminota, the species being Leprieurii, but he 

 afterwards adopted the generic name of Trigonalys : this species was from Cayenne. In 

 the same work, in 1840, the Marquis de Spinola described a third species, Trigonalys 

 Hahnii, which is quite distinct from the British species. T. Hahnii has been cap- 

 tured in France. Four species of this genus are therefore known and described. The 

 situation of this genus has been variously assigned by different authors, Mr. Shuckard 

 and Mr. Westwood placing it in the Evaniadae ; Spinola placed it provisionally near 

 the Braconides ; St. Fargeau placed it between Stigmus and Pemphredon, and Gue- 

 rin-Meneville thinks it should follow Mutilla ; but I think the reasoning of Shuckard, 

 and the characters pointed out by him, are conclusive that it ought to be placed near 

 the Evaniadae. The following description and figure may serve to point it out to en- 

 tomologists should it chance to 

 fall in their way. Entirely of 

 a deep black, brilliantly glossy 

 on the head and abdomen. 

 Antennae inserted on the exter- 

 nal side of a couple of small 

 flat facial processes. Thorax 

 densely punctulate, making it 

 subopaque ; metathorax rugose, 

 with a central longitudinal ca- 

 rina, and two lateral, curving 

 and divergent. Wings hyaline, 

 with a dark cloud covering the 

 Trigonalys Anglicana. b asa l half of the marginal cell, 



and the apical half of the first, and the entire second and third submarginal cells. 

 Antennae consisting of twenty-five joints. — Frederick Smith ; 5, High Street^ New- 

 inglon, December, 1847. 



Habits of Mutilla Europaa. — Christius, in his Natural History of Insects, p. 144, 

 has stated that this species lives in company with humble-bees, the larvae of the two 

 being commingled in the cells ; and he breaks out into expressions of wonder at this 

 seemingly amicable association. Later authors have either overlooked this account, 

 or they did not give it credit ; for neither Latreille, Lepeletier St. Fargeau, nor 

 Westwood, have anything positive to state as to the economy of the Mutillae. Drew- 



