THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S 
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER, 
No. 95.] SATURDAY, JULY 24, 1858. [Price Id. 
Leucania L- Album, (See p. 130.) 
BEES. 
The dearth of Hgmenoplera is even 
more appalling this season than that of 
Coleoptera. Two years ago we deluded 
ourselves into the belief (alas ! a vain 
one) that a race of bee-students was 
growing up ; that ere long the Iclineu- 
monidce, which the Lepidopterists will 
persist in rearing, would be in great 
demand by the increasing numbers of 
Hymenopterists ; that Saw-flies would 
be more systematically investigated, 
&c., & c. 
We know not why, at this early day, 
we should have to comment on the 
“ decline and fall ” of Hymenopterology ; 
indeed, but for an occasional discussion 
on the subject of tbe hexagonal versus 
cylindrical form of the bee cell, we 
should almost have forgotten the ex- 
istence of that important group of 
hexapods — the Hymenoptera. 
The peculiar dryness and heat of the 
month of June ought to have been 
extremely favourable to the development 
of insects of this order; and, judging 
by the promise on our plum trees, if the 
old proverb is still correct, that — 
“ When the plum hangs on the tree, 
Then the wasp you're sure to see," 
the Diploptera may be expected to 
appear in great force next month. 
“ The Hymeuopterous order is,” says 
Westwood, “ of very considerable ex- 
tent, being apparently inferior only to 
the Coleoptera. Messrs. Kirby and 
Spence have estimated the number of 
its species as averaging about one- 
fourth of the insect population. In 
this country we probably possess 3000 
species, of which two- thirds are of 
minute size.” 
A correspondent writing on the 14th 
inst. says,— “ Except a few good bees, 
nothing else fell in my way ; ” but why 
not chronicle these feiv good bees P Or 
is he afraid if the habitats were pub- 
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