MYRMELEON. 
262 
ordinary history. It is one of those whose term 
of life, like that of the Libellulas and Ephemerae, 
is protracted to a very considerable space, since it 
survives the first winter in its larva state, taking 
no nourishment during that time, and in the 
spring resumes its usual manner of preying. In 
preparing its pit it begins by tracing an exterior 
circle of the intended diameter of the cavity, con- 
tinuing its motion, in a spiral line, till it gets to 
the centre, thus marking several volutes in the 
sand, resembling the impression of a large helix or 
snail-shell ; and after having sufficiently deepened 
the cavity by a repetition of this motion, it smooths 
the sides into a regular shape by throwing out the 
superfluous sand lying on the ridges: this it does 
by closing its forcipes in such a manner that to- 
gether with the head, they form a convenient 
shovel, with which it throws the sand with so 
strong a motion out of the cavity, that the grains 
often fall to the distance of near a foot beyond 
the brink. The depth of the pit is generally equal 
to the diameter. When full-grown and ready to 
change into a chrysalis the animal envelops itself 
in a round ball of sand, agglutinated and con- 
nected by very fine silk, which it draws from a 
tubular process at the extremity of the body : 
with this silk it also lines the internal surface of 
the ball, which, if opened, appears coated by a 
fine pearl-coloured silken tissue. It continues in 
the state of chrysalis about four weeks, and then 
gives birth to the comjjlete insect. The J/y?'- 
