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What has become of the Wasps?—In this central part of Warwickshire we cannot make out what has become of the wasps. I have been in the habit of killing from fifteen to twenty daily on my windows during the summer time for years past, but this summer I have not had the chance, for have not even seen a wasp since the month of May. The other day a bee-master in our parish, who keeps generally from twelve to fifteen hives, and who is thoroughly conversant with the habits of bees and their enemies, asked me if I could account for the disappearance of the wasps, because this year his lives have been entirely free from those pests, and he has never even seen one since the end of May. Early in the spring he saw several, and they all seemed to vanish suddenly; and he tells me he has not been able to find a nest anywhere about this part, though he has searched for one. Our village boys, who are generally foremost in taking nests, have had no sport in that line this year.—C. J. F.

Death's-head Hawk-Moth (Acherontia atropos).—In July last, four caterpillars of this moth were brought to me. I filled a large flower-pot (12 inches deep and 14 inches diameter at top) with garden mould, transplanted into it a small growing potato, put my caterpillars thereon, and covered them with an old hand-glass, some of the squares of which were broken out, and their places supplied with perforated brown paper. The caterpillars buried themselves as follows:—One on the 12th July; one on the 13th one on the 15th; and one on the 19th of the same mouth. The flower-pot was kept above the surface of the ground in the open air, sheltered from the mid-day sun and from heavy rain, but at other times exposed, and whenever the surface of the mould became dry, I watered it slightly. On the 10th September I had the satisfaction of finding two perfect moths beneath the glass, and another on the 12th, and I shall look for the fourth about the 17th. After being set out, my largest specimen measured exactly five inches from tip to tip of the expanded wings. While watching the two moths beneath the glass before administering chloroform, I noticed that one of them, in shitting its position, trenched upon the holding-on place occupied by the other. Thereupon a "scuffle" ensued for possession of the spot, and with expanded wings, and uttering their peculiar cry, the moths fought for several seconds, exactly as one sees two sparrows fight. The weaker of the two soon retired to another spot, and neither appeared injured by the fray.—Sibert Saunders, Whitstable.

Ants and Cocci.—Not long ago, whilst in an orchid-house, I noticed a great quantity of ants running here and there upon the leaves of Calanthe vestita and Limatodes rosea. My curiosity made me examine their movements, when, to my surprise, I saw them milking, as it were, a species of coccus which infested the leaves of the plants. Now, I had heard of this before, but, like many more persons, thought it was but a tale; but now I had found out the whole method, and here it was in full operation before my eyes. The ant gently stroked the coccus with the two antennæ, and sometimes will the legs; after this, the coccus excluded a small round white substance, which the ant ate, and then commenced upon another coccus. Perhaps some persons may doubt, but to all those I say get a plant infested with coccus, place a colony of ants upon it, and surround the whole with water, so as to prevent escape, and then they will be convinced. A few weeks after this incident, my attention was drawn to a still stranger sight; viz., in a hot-house I had cleaned several small plants of Passiflora princeps, and placed them upon a shelf. One day, while watering these plants, I noticed three large domes of earth surrounding the stems of three P. princeps I had cleaned. At the time I thought it was perhaps the work of worms, so I turned the plant out of the pot, and found to my astonishment, not worms, but a colony of ants, smugly enjoying their new home; and when I looked at the stem of the plant, I found a quantity of cocci attached, the earth forming quite a chamber for them; so I came to the conclusion that the ants had formed this chamber, and brought the coccus into a state of slavery, so as to serve for food when wanted.—J. F., Clapton.

White Earwigs.—Having very lately found an earwig casting its skin, and emerging from its old case quite white, I would suggest to R. F. M. that the one mentioned by him in your last number had just undergone that process; and that, after due exposure to the air, the white would have gradually become the colour we usually see. I put my specimen into liquor potassæ, intending to mount it whole, but the tissues were so very soft that, although immersed for one day only, the potash effectually destroyed it. I may also mention I have often found colonies of minute young earwigs under garden saucers, and they have generally been quite white.—William W. H.

Communications have been received on the same subject from W. B. M., H. W., and E. Mence.—Ed.

Queen of Spain.—It may be interesting to some of the collectors of butterflies who read Science Gossip, to know that a specimen of that rare butterfly, the Queen of Spain Fritillary (Argynnis Lathonia), was captured by a young gentleman in this parish some time last month. I have taken the specimen and compared it with one in the collection at the Norwich Museum, so that there can be no mistake about it.—Hampden G. Glasspoole, Ormesby St. Michael.