7974 



Insects. 



I observed that bees never carry a dead queen any distance from the hive, as they do a 

 worker, but allow her to drop near the entrance, — the size may be partly the cause, — 

 yet we constantly see them carry out dead drones, but seldom at the general slaughter ; 

 these are generally left close to the hive. In the case mentioned there is no 

 doubt that these queens, had the weather been dry and sunny, instead of wet and un- 

 settled, would have issued at an interval of, most likely, three days between, at least, 

 as to two of their numbers. The great discovery of the manner of the impregnation 

 of the queen bee, the peculiarity also, at certain times, of her laying only the eggs of 

 drones, and other circumstances enumerated by Huber, will hand down that great and 

 unassuming naturalist's name to the latest posterity. — H. W. Newman; Hillside, 

 Cheltenham, March 13, 1862. 



Note on Anomalon Vesparum. — It is somewat singular that of two nests of Vespa 

 vulgaris I had at work during the summer of 1859 in a window of the house J have 

 used as a vespiary for some years, one should have produced vast numbers of a 

 coleopterous parasite, — Ripiphorus paradoxus (see Zool. 6906), — while the other was 

 full of an hymenopterous one, for the name of which (Anomalon Vesparum) I am in- 

 debted to Professor Westwood. But the most remarkable thing is that, although a 

 few of the latter have from lime to time made their appearance in the winged state, 

 the combs still contain immense numbers that have not yet showed themselves openly. 

 On opening several of the cocoons, a few days ago, I found that each contained a 

 living example of the insect perfectly formed, and who, the moment the top of the 

 cocoon was removed, marched out, stretched its legs, passed its fore feet rapidly over 

 its head and antennae, for the purpose apparently of removing any superfluous 

 moisture, cleaned its abdomen and smoothed out its wings by means of its hinder feet, 

 and was then prepared for immediate flight. Now the question (and I take it to be 

 a curious physiological one) is, How long had it been lying in that perfectly-formed 

 state, and how much longer would it have remained cooped up and still retain its 

 vitality, had it not been released from its prison by artificial means ? On opening the 

 cocoons a strong smell of something akin to formic acid was emitted. Each cocoon 

 had a beautifully delicate gold-coloured lining, in which the insect was enwrapped. — 

 S. Stone; March 15, 1862. 



Musical powers of Agabus bipunctatus. — We have heard of singing fish and singing 

 beetles in the Tropics and at the Antipodes, but I have never heard of any of the 

 latter at home, except those mentioned by Mr. Westwood, in his ' Introduction, or 

 Modern Classification,' vol. i. p. 103, where he speaks of Pselobius Hermanni, which 

 makes a noise when held in the fingers. Mr. Westwood also quotes Frisch, who says 

 that Acilius sulcatus makes a noise under water ; and Kirby, vol. ii. p. 393, says, 

 " Concerning their shouts of joy and cries of sorrow I have little to record ; that 

 pleasure or pain makes a difference in the tones of vocal insects is not improbable ; 

 but our auditory organs are not fine enough to catch all their different modulations/' 

 Having had in an aquarium in my sitting-room, for a long time, two specimens of 

 Agabus bipunctatus, these two beetles puzzled me for a long time, or rather, I should 

 say, a voice proceeding from the aquarium, very much like the faint gryllous noise of 

 a grasshopper; it begins very faint and gradually increases in intensity until it 

 reaches that of a grasshopper. This noise is only made in the night, and is probably 

 the sexual call, as they appear to answer each other from either end of the aquarium. 

 I have frequently taken the light and looked into the water to see where they were; 

 sometimes I have seen them at the bottom (about a foot deep) and sometimes at the 



