48 



visitors. Hence the stigmatic surface needs not to be so broad, and such is indeed the 

 case, it being comparatively narrow. 



An idea may be formed from these notes which I must now bring to a close, how 

 limited is yet the amount of information on the attractive subject of the fertilisation of 

 Canadian Orchids. Will it not induce many friends of insects and of flowers, if they have 

 not done so before, to watch them carefully as to their relations to each other ? If every 

 one would make a note at the time what insects he sees on blossoms of any kind, and 

 communicate his observations, a great deal of interesting and valuable knowledge would 

 thus be collected. 



Orchids deserve especial attention, both on account of their wonderful contrivances 

 for cross-fertilisation, and because they are not generally easy to discover nor to observe. 

 Owing to their fondness for damp, shady spots, the days and the hours of day, when 

 insects can visit them are rare, and one will seldom be ready to watch them at the favor- 

 able time. Moreover, on account of their absolute need of moisture and cover, they are 

 constantly disappearing before the axe and spade of the settler, as also, precisely on 

 account of their rarity, before the greed of too many of their pretended friends, the plant- 

 collectors. In the vicinity of cities, at least, they rapidly become scarce. Every oppor- 

 tunity should, therefore, be improved, and not only especially for plants of this order, but 

 generally for all. 



HYMENOPTERA AOULEATA 

 ANTS, WASPS AND BEES. 



BY W. HAGUE HARRINGTON, OTTAWA. 



Our reports contain each year references to, or descriptions of, various Hymenoptera, 

 but no attempt has previously been made to acquaint our readers with the relations 

 that these insects bear to one another, I will therefore endeavour, in the interests of those 

 who have not access to systematic works, or who have not the time to study them, to 

 outline the groups included in the sub-order Aculeata, or sting-bearers, the members of 

 which are popularly known as ants, wasps, and bees. 



Of these tfhere are nine families represented in Canada,* which include about two 

 hundred and fifty recorded species. 



formicid^;. 



The very interesting paper by Mr. G. W. Bowles, in the report published last year, 

 renders it unnecessary for me to give any account of this family. I may, however, state 

 that the species have been very meagrely investigated hitherto by our collectors, so that our 

 knowledge of Canadian ants (as indeed of all our Hymenoptera) is very incomplete. I 

 have myself collected in this neighbourhood alone several genera and species not hitherto 

 recorded, and if entomologists in other parts of this extended country would give attention 

 to these insects, so intelligent in their actions, and so interesting in their habits, it would 

 be found that the number of species is quite large. 



CHRYSIDIDiE. 



This group is not included by some authors in Aculeata, but is considered to belong 

 to Terebrantia, along with the Ichneumons, Gall-flies and Saw-flies. Its members are not 

 furnished with stings such as the bees and wasps possess, for they lack the poison glands 

 which enable the latter to inflict such pain. Only about a dozen species are known to 

 occur in Canada. These are all comparatively small insects, the largest being but about 

 the size of the house-fly, and are remarkable for their brilliant metallic colours, in which 

 green predominates. They are active insects, to be seen upon flowers and shrubs, or 



* I have largely adopted as suitable for this paper the classification used by Mr. L. O. Howard in the 

 Standard Natural History now being published. 



