NOTES ON HYMENOPTERA. 61 of its beaut)' by tbe destruction of the cilige, or actunl tearing of the wings by contact with the surrounding herbage. The woodcut accompanying this article gives a better idea of the si^ecies than would a minute description of the perfect insect, but the following are the chief characteristics : — The ground colour of Nonagria spanjanii is a bone-coloui"ed grey, paler along the veins, and with more or less reddish buff interspersed. The principal characters are seven dark dots within the ciliie of the fore wings, and the shaded central line with its pale ocellus formed by the three or four black dots placed close together. The hind wings of the male have veins dusted with deep gre}'. There is considerable variation in the intensity of colour in a series of specimens, but the above are the leading features. The continental specimens are ver}^ much redder and otherwise differ from any of those as yet bred in Britain. It is a common species on the Continent of Europe, where it is said to feed chiefly on the reed-mace {Typha latifolia). The proper place for this species in our collections is between Nonagria caniue and N. tijph(e, the imagines having some of the characters of both those species. We are indebted to Mr. Sydney Webb for kindly lending the specimens, bred by himself, from which the figures are taken. John T. Cakeington. Roval Aquarium, Westminster, January, IHSO. NOTES ON HYMENOPTERA. By John J3. Bkidgmak. Hymenoptera, as might be expected from the very unfavour-able season just passed (1879), have been unusually scarce in this neighbourhood, more especially the Aculeates. Anthopliora acervorum, instead of swarming on every sunny bank in early spring, was very scarce. Willow blossoms were almost deserted instead of being alive with several species oi Andre na ; and, later in the season, the brambles, generally so attractive to bees, wei'e almost as free from aculeate visitants as the spring flowers were. The only bee that really abounded was Bomhus virginalis ; these were unusually abundant. Several species of this genus I scarcely saw at all. Wasps were equally conspicuous by their
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