298 !M«y,, 
On February 15th, I observed two specimens of CheiropacJius face to face on a)' 
piece of stick, their antenna9, though bent downwards, 'as in the position of repose, ,' 
were in active tremulous motion, and the insects occasionally advanced so that those i 
organs touched. They frequently touched the wood also with their antennal tips ; 
and, on looking closely, I saw a minute orifice in the bark, in which I soon made 
out a pair of jaws working. This hole was enlarged rapidly, and the head of a 
CheiropacTius soon became visible. On the head emerging, the antennae of those 
outside worked even more vigorously, and seemed to increase the efforts of the 
enclosed CheiropacJius to escape. 
On the thorax of the latter (which proved to be a female) appearing, it became 
obvious that the two outside were sworn foes, each alternately edging the other off ' 
for a little way, the antennse continuing vigorously working, and now all the time 
touching the female. Suddenly the two males seized each other by the jaws, and 
for a moment were quite still, just as the female completed her escape. The next 
movement was so extremely rapid, that I could not see the details — the female 
came out so quickly, that it appeared as if she would have got away ; but in an 
instant one of the males completely disappeared, the other was seated on the back of 
the female, and pairing had occurred ; the whole transaction having lasted less 
than a minute, though possibly my observations disturbed them. Several other 
specimens were close by, apparently males, whose size and strength were unequal 
to a competition with the two in possession. I may remark that Cheiropachus ia 
able to leap a distance of nearly an inch. The above observations explain at least 
one use of that power, and also that in a winged species of Chalcis pairing occurs 
immediately on the exclusion of the female, as it is well known to do in some 
apterous and partly apterous species. — Id. 
Discovery of a male Cynips. — Through the kindness of Mr. Darwin I have 
received both sexes of a species of Cynips ; they were bred from the Black Oak 
{Quercus spongifica) by Mr. Benjamin D. Walsh, the American Hymenopterist. The 
gall from which the male and female (Cynips acictdata) were obtained is larger 
than the bullet-gall of the oak so common in England, being two inches or more in 
diameter. According to Mr. Walsh's observations the males are only obtained from 
those galls which develope flies early in the season, two months before the great 
autumnal brood appears ; the latter all being invariably of the female sex. Follow- 
ing up this hint, we may hope this year to obtain males of Cynips lignicola. — 
F. Smith, British Museum, 16th April, 1869. 
An early swarm of Formica nigra. — I was walking yesterday through the 
Botanical Gardens here, when my attention was suddenly attracted by some winged 
ants running up the glass of the Cactus-house. Many male and female specimens 
were struggling in the webs of sundry gaunt, hungry-looking spiders. Upon 
inquiry I ascertained from one of the attendants that they had begun to swarm 
about the 2nd inst. Their nests seem to be situated close to the hot-water pipes, 
which have maintained a temperature in the house, during the last two or three 
months, of 60° — 65" Farenht. by day, and 55° — 60° by night. The attendant has 
not been aware of the existence of the nests for more than a fortnight ; but, unless 
memory fails me, this ant used to remain active all through the winter in the 
neighbouring Palm-house, which is scarcely, if at all, warmer. — A. E, Eaton, The 
Union Society, Cambridge, April 9th, 1869. 
