3254 Insects. 



that they were males of Osmia parietina. I have subsequently learned 

 their history, and now forward it to the ' Zoologist,' as the fitting re- 

 ceptacle in which to chronicle more particularly the habits of our na- 

 tive Fauna. 



At Glen Almond, Perthshire, on the Grampians, about 800 feet 

 above the level of the sea, in the month of November last, Mr. Joseph 

 Robertson was examining and admiring the natural productions scat- 

 tered over the rocks of that locality. On turning up a piece of stone, 

 in size 10 inches by 6, which lay partly buried in the turf, he observ- 

 ed a mass of cocoons attached to the under surface ; these he knew 

 to be the production of some bee, and therefore carefully took home 

 the stone, and the following was the result. The number of cocoons 

 was about two hundred and thirty ; about one third of them were 

 empty when found ; on a few of the others being opened, some were 

 found to contain perfect bees ; others, bees in the grub state ; and in 

 one or two was a parasite — Chrysis Austriaca ? Nothing further took 

 place until the following March, when the males came out at inter- 

 vals, and subsequently the females ; occasionally a Chrysis appeared ; 

 only a single Chrysis inhabited the same cocoon. The bees or their 

 parasites continued to come out, more or less frequently, up to July. 



At this time there were about thirty-five cocoons perfect, and I found 

 on opening one or two that they contained active larvae. I have no 

 doubt that this is the case with the rest, and that in this state they will 

 pass the winter, when, on the return of spring, they will change to the 

 pupa state, and quickly afterwards arrive at their perfect condition. I 

 have found that out of a number of the larvae of Anthophora taken in 

 May, some quickly assumed the pupa state, and soon afterwards ar- 

 rived at maturity, and in this state passed the winter; others remained 

 in the larva state, and did not change until the following spring, when 

 they quickly arrived at their perfect condition ; but a few did not 

 change to pupae until late in summer, and passed the following winter 

 in their perfect state. These remarkable differences in the develop- 

 ment of bees, will account for the circumstances which will occur to 

 any one who will examine a colony of Anthophora at different sea- 

 sons of the year ; they will find at the same time larvae, pupae, and 

 perfect insects in summer, and larvae and perfect insects during the 

 winter months. 



Mr. Robertson brought the stone to the Museum, and as it is now 

 in my possession, I am happy in having an opportunity of describing 

 it. It is a blue slate-stone, smooth on one side, and rough and fur- 

 rowed on the other ; these ribs or furrows run in lines, exactly like 



