THE "V.A.I-.LIErZ" IsT^TTJI^^JLiIST. 
59 
the animal can then again attempt to fly or 
at least to walk; but actual death is not long 
in coming. These effects are so constant and 
easily obtained that it is truly surprising that 
no experimenter has called attention to 
them. 
The causes of buzzing certainly reside in 
the wings. It has long been recognized that 
the cutting of these organs more or less near 
their insertion has a more or less marked in- 
fluence upon the buzzing. It becomes thin- 
ner and sharper, the quality itself is notably 
modified. It loses its softness (veloute) due 
to the friction of the air upon the margin of 
the wings and becomes in a manner "nasal." 
The timbre perceived under these circum- 
stances resembles that of reed instruments 
or still more that of certain electrical contact- 
breakers, and has no resemblance to the 
sound that can be produced by the passage 
of air through t an orifice. This sound is, 
however completely in relation to the re- 
peated beatings of the wing- stumps against 
the solid parts surrounding it, or of the cor- 
neous pieces which it contains \psselets rad~ 
icaux of Chabrier] against each other. 
If in an animal treated as above, the wing- 
stump is coated with a slightly viscid fluid 
substance which the air only dries slowly, 
the perceived sound is sensibly dulled, with- 
out the stigmata being in any way modified 
or the movement of the wings hampered. 
"When the section affects the stump itself, 
the sound produced becomes sharper and 
weaker. It is destroyed as soon as a sensi- 
tive part is reached, but this, as may easily 
be ascertained, is because the animal ceases 
to perform motions which have become pain- 
ful. 
To sum up, in the Hymenoptera and Dip- 
tera, the buzzing is due to two distinct 
causes : — one, the vibration of which the arti- 
culation of the wing is the seat and which 
constitutes true buzzing ; the other the fric- 
tion of the wing againstthe air, an effect which 
more or less modifies the former. It would 
not be impossible from these data to produce 
artificially the buzzing of these animals; and 
I have some hopes of succeeding in this. 
In the Lepidoptera of strong flight, such as 
the sphinxes, the soft and full buzzing which 
these animals produce is only due to the 
friction of the air by the wings. This sound, 
which is always grave, is alone produced; it 
is not accompanied by the basal beatings, 
owing to a peculiar organization, and espec- 
ially to the presence of the scales. 
In the dragon flies also, in which the base 
of the wing is furnished with soft fleshy 
parts, no true buzzing occurs, but a simple 
rustling due to the friction of the organs of 
flight.— [Comptes Bendus, Sept., 1878, 
Every Naturalist in the United States 
and Canadas should subscribe for the 
Valley Naturalist, the only Naturalists' 
paper in the Mississippi Valley and the 
West. 
The Hymenoptera of Bastrop County, 
Texas, as Observed During the Years 
1867-77. 
BY L. HEILIGBRODT, BASTROP, TEXAS. 
Our advertising 1 friends should keep 
in mind that the Valley Naturalist has 
the widest circulation. 
(Paper No. 4.) 
Abbreviations: v. c. very common; c. com- 
mon; n. c. not common; r. rare; v. r. very 
rare. Those species which are marked very 
common and part of those marked common 
constitute an essential feature of the insect' 
fauna of this part of Texas. 
Vespidce. 
Folistes americanus, Fabr. c 
P. annularis , Linn, v c 
P. bellicosus, Cress, c 
P. generosus, Cress, c 
P. perplexus, Cress, n c 
P. rubiginosus, St. Farg. v c 
P. texanus, Cress, c 
P. variatus, Cress, c 
Vespa cuneata, Fabr. n c 
V. occidentalis, Cress, n c 
V. sulphurea, Sauss. c 
Andronidce. 
Agapostemon ceruginosus, Smith, v c 
A. tricolor, St. Farg. c 
Augochlora lucidula, Smith, c 
A. pura, Say. c 
Halictus albitarsis, Cress, c. 
H. disparilis, Cress, c 
H. occidentalism Cress, r 
Nomia heterocera, Say. n c 
N. Nortoni, Cress, v c 
ApidcB. 
Anthophora occidentalism Cress, r 
A. texana, Cress, r 
Apatkus elatus, Fabr. r 
Apis mellifica, Linn, v c 
Bombus pennsylvanicus . DeG-eer. v c 
Gentris lanosa, Cress, r 
"Epeolus texanus. Cress, v c 
Megachile comata, Cress, n c 
M. facunda, Cress, v c 
M. grandis, Cress, c 
M. pruina, Smith, v c 
M. pugnata, Say. c 
Melissodes atripes, Cress, v c 
M. brevicornis, Cress, nc 
M. densa, Cress, v c 
M. marginella, Cress, v c 
M. obliqua, Say. v c 
M. texana. Cress, c 
Nomada texana, Cress, r 
Xylocopa purpurea, Cress, c 
X. texana, Cress, c 
X. virginica, Drury. v c 
Meteorological Report of the City of 
Oakland 3 California. 
BY J. B. TREMBLY, M. D., OAKLAND, CAL. 
Meteorological synopsis for the month of 
Sept, 1878. Observations taken at 6:30 a. m. 
and 2 and 9 p. M. Latitude 37° 48' 20" north. 
Longitude 122° 15' 20" west. Height above 
the sea 24 feet. 
BAROMETER. 
Mean barometer of the month 29.92 
Highest barometer, Sept. 19, 6 a. m 30.07 
Lowest " " 4, 2 P. M 29.79 
Monthly range 28 
THERMOMETER. 
Mean temperature for the month 59.32 
Mean temp, of warmest day, Sept. 3... 64.66 
" " of coldest day, Sept. 17 56. 
Maximum temp. Sept. i, 2 P. m. 79. 
Minimum " " 25, 6:00a.m.... 48. 
Greatest daily variation Sept. 4 23. 
Least " " " 17 5. 
Monthly range of temperature 33. 
Mean daily range of temperature 13.93 
RELATIVE HUMIDITY. 
Mean relative humidity of the month. . 87.51 
Highest mean humidity for 24hrs. 26th 94.09 
Lowest " " " 24th 80.09 
Maximum humidity. 27th 100.00 
Minimum " 24th 55.08 
Greatest daily variation, 24th 37.06 
Least " " 17th 6.05 
RECAPITULATION (BAY NURSERY). 
Rainfall in inches during the month.. . 00.57 
" " " since July 1st, 1878.. 00.57 
WEATHER. 
Number of clear and fair days 24 
Number of cloudy days 6 
JS umber of days in which rain fell 3 
Number of mornings of low fog 3 
No. of mornings of overcast high fog. . 6 
WIND— 90 OBSERVATIONS. 
Southwest and west 28 
Northwest and north 20 
Northeast and east 0 
Southeast and south 6 
Calm 36 
Nothing occurred in the meteorological 
phenomena of the month unusual. Weather 
was very pleasant and the change of the sea- 
son was some earlier than last year. Rain 
fell on the 27th, 28th and 29th in measurable 
quantities— the first of any quantity, that was 
susceptible of measurement this agricultural 
year thus far, or since July 1st, 1878. An 
earthquake shock was felt on the 29th at 6 P. 
M. Vibrations seemed to come from the 
southwest towards the northeast. Quite 
heavy rainfall in a hard shower followed im- 
mediately afterward. Sufficient water fell 
to thoroughly lay the dust and render the 
streets muddy the following day. 
Remember the address of the Valley 
Naturalist is Room 38, N. W. cor. Third 
and Pine Streets, St. Louis, Mo. 
Naturalists who are not already sub- 
scribers, should subscribe imme- 
diately. 
We will always be pleased to name 
specimens which may be sent by our 
friends. 
Advertise in the only Western Natur- 
alists paper—it has the widest circula- 
tion. 
