OCTOBER. 
305 
I . Pallassiana .—A noble looking tree; allied to if not the same 
thing as taurica; mine, however, appears different. The average 
yearly growth eighteen inches. The tree has grown fifteen feet in eicrht 
years. G 
P. Cembra .—With me this is a slow growing tree, but is valuable 
to the planter for its fine silvery leaves and erect growth. Annual 
growth six inches. 
Abws Morinda, Smithiana, and Kkutrow .—I can see no difference 
betv een these three, and take them to be specifically the same ; a very 
graceful form of Spruce Fir, with somewhat pendulous branches, and 
light green leaves.. Growth eighteen inches to two feet this season. 
Ihese trees, of which there are many here, vary from ten to twenty- 
four feet in height. I can recommend this for general planting, as a 
single specimen, contrasting, as it does, well with the European and 
American section of Spruce Firs. 
A. Nordmanniana .—Young plants seasons growth nine inches;— 
a tree with dark massive looking foliage, and fine appearance. 
. ' Pudujia. This, which is said to be only a variety of Sylvestris, 
will turn out to be a distinct and handsome Pine. Season’s wood nine 
inches long. 
HUMBLE BEES. 
(Continued from page 134 ). 
I HAVE stated in the beginning of my last paper that humble bees are 
assailed by a variety of enemies. I shall, however, only give an 
account of such as have fallen under my own observation—beginning 
with humble bee flies :—Towards the end of summer almost all the nests 
of humble bees that I have investigated (those on the surface of the 
soil as well as those underground) contain amongst the combs a number 
of loose larvae, rather more than half an inch long, of a dirty white 
colour, and of a somewhat oval shape, the body being round and broad 
at one end, and tapering off to a point at the other, which has no 
perceptible head ;—the broad end has a dark spot in the middle, and is 
armed with a fan-shaped tuft of six spines or bristles;—if the comb 
is laid by for a little while, some of these larvse will work their way 
out of it; and if the cells are opened at an earlier period, they will be 
found at an immature state, of a much smaller size, frequently two in a 
cell, with a humble bee larva, that has just assumed the form of a bee, 
but is still soft and milky ;—they may be seen occasionally half-buried 
in the abdomens of young bees, and evidently preying upon them. 
When out of the cells, these parasites appear incapable of taking any 
nourishment, or doing any further mischief, but pass the winter in the 
grub state, changing afterwards into a chrysalis in the end of May, and 
hatching in June and July—they then appear as humble bee flies, 
of which there are two varieties, of the same size, and differing 
only slightly in colour, bred from larvae exactly similar—they are not 
unlike a small humble bee in appearance; the front of the head, which 
VOL. XI., NO. CXXX. X 
