INSECTA. 
459 
V OLLENHOVEN, S. C. Snellen VAN. Die Inlandsclie Bladwespen 
in hare Gedaaiitewisseling en Levenswijze. lOde Stuk. 
Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, vii. Deel^ pp. 59-74^ pi. 1-3. 
Haarlem^ 1864. 
Walker,, Francis. Characters of undescribed species of Smiera. 
Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 3rd series, vol. ii. pp. 181-207. 
November 1864 (read 6th June 1864). 
Walsh, B. D. On dimorphism in the Hymenopterous genus 
Cynips ; with an appendix containing hints for a new classi- 
fication of Cynipidse, and a list of Cynipidse, including 
descriptions of several new species, inha&ting the oak-galls 
of Illinois. Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. vol. ii. pp. 409-413. 
Waterhouse, G. R. On the formation of the Cells of Bees and 
Wasps. Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 3rd series, vol. ii. pp. 
115-130, plate l3. August 1864 (read 7th March, 1864). 
Waterhouse has again indicated his views upon the formation 
of the hexagonal cells of Wasps and Bees, maintaining that the 
cells are to be regarded essentially as cylinders in juxtaposition, 
the hexagonal form being produced as if by mutual pressure. 
(Trans. Ent. Soc. pp. 115-130.) 
Smith, on the contrary, maintains (/. c. pp. 131-142) that the 
insects form hexagonal cells, and adduces various examples in 
which even the marginal cells of a comb have their outer walls 
angular. The nests exhibited in support of his views included 
those of Icaria guttatipennis^ Nectarina lecheguana, Tatua morio^ 
Polistes tepidus and tasmaniensisy Vespa vulgaris, and Apis 
mellifica. 
Tegetmeier (Proc. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1864, p. 33) holds that 
the cell of the hive-bee is always hemispherical at its commence- 
ment; hemispherical cups are hollowed out and enlarged by the 
bees until they come in contact, the bees gnawing away all the 
material so far as is consistent with the integrity of the comb, 
and thus the hexagonal form is produced. He denies the exist- 
ence of any geometrical instinct^^ in the bee, and regards the 
hexagonal form as a consequence of the geometrical law that six 
circles of equal radii will exactly surround a seventh. This 
notion is evidently nearly identical with Waterhouse^s view. 
Newman (Zool. pp. 9055-9057) supports Waterhouse^s view 
of the formation of Bees’ cells. 
Smith (Zool. pp. 9073-9077) replies to Newman, and cites 
several instances of apparent reasoning in insects, especially the 
various selections of breeding-places made by different indi- 
viduals of Osmia aurulenta, in support of his view that the hex- 
agonal cells of Bees and W asps are directly constructed of that 
form. 
Smith puhlishes observations on British Hyjnenoptera, and especially on 
