122 



The Naturalist. 



withered and sapless thorns are appropriated by small ants. Splitting 

 one down the centre, I am tolerably safe to find the hollowed space 

 inhabited, but am not equally certain as to where the place or pbices 

 of ingress and egress are bored. 



(To he continued.. 



Sljort ftntes anb (Queries. 



Serico77iyia borealis. — I would call the attention of your readers to this 

 very conspicuous and interesting fly, of whose life-history so very little is 

 known. It is one of the largest and handsomest of the hover flies 

 Syrphidce ; the antennse are plumose, and the body marked with bands 

 alternatety yellow and piceous. It seems for the most part to frequent 

 the hilly districts of England and Scotland, being more especially fond of 

 the hill tops. It is chiefly remarkable for its curious habit of making a 

 harmonious piping sound while sitting on the stones apparently at rest ; 

 the sound has been mistaken for singing at a distance. It is also said to 

 cause some annoyance to visitors to the hill-tops by flying towards them 

 in a threatening manner, but this requires corroboration. It will be 

 observed that Mr. J. C. Dale suggests that this may be the insect referred 

 to by Ray as having been met with near Settle, and proving very 

 annoying {Nat., Jan:, 1883, p. 93). To anyone interested in the subject 

 I would suggest a reference to the notices in the Ent. Mo7ith. Mag. , Dec. , 

 1881, p. 159, and Jan., 1883, p. 188, and the very interesting letters of 

 Mr. Swinton and Mr. Hellins in the same publication, Jan., 1882, p. 

 189. I should be very glad to hear of fresh observations on these and 

 other points in the life-history of this insect, Sericomyia borealis is a 

 stout-bodied fly about the size of the large Valucella, which are parasites 

 on the humble bee, and so curiously mimic them. — E. jST. Blomfibld, 

 Guestling Rectory, Feb. 17th, 1883. 



A World in Miniature. — Through the kindness of Mr. Loran, smack 

 owner, of Hull, I had forwarded to me, a few days ago, a " specimen " 

 from the North Sea ; it consists of a female edible crab. Cancer pagnrns, 

 unfortunately deceased in transit, and measuring about Sin. across the 

 carapace. On the back were eleven oysters, Ostrea edulis, the largest 

 about 3in. by 2in., twenty or thirty Anumia ephippium and its variety 

 acnleata, several i^axicava rngosa, and three or four Ascidians. On the 

 upper valves of the oysters were numerous Serpulse, S. triquetra, 

 annelides forming sand tubes, patches of polyzoa and egg capsules ^ 

 of one of the whelks. In the interstices of the shells were four 

 medium-sized and several minute specimens of the plumose anemone, 

 A. dianihus, the largest of which was furnished with two distinct mouths. 

 The large claws were furnished with a forest of Sertularian and Tubularian 

 zoophytes, and the pedipalps were infested with what appeared to be a 



