400 C. H. TURNER 



for the mantis to construct its egg-case. When ready to oviposit, 

 the mantis arranges herself, head downward, upon a twig. The 

 last two abdominal segments expand and contract, otherwise 

 the body is quiet. A ribbon of whitish substance, resembling 

 tooth-paste, issues from the tip of the abdomen and is pressed 

 against the twig. This ribbon soon becomes frothy. By means 

 of the ovipositor this mass is moulded into the egg-case. (Full 

 details are given in the paper.) While the case is being fash- 

 ioned, an egg is laid in each cell. Immediately after laying, the 

 mantis walks off a short distance, flexes her body and consumes 

 what is left of the nest-forming material. 



Hartman (55) states that the potter bee (Eumenes belfragei 

 Cress.) moistens the clod with fluid from her mouth, before 

 cutting out a piece with which to help construct on a culm of 

 Bermuda grass her waterbottle-shaped nest. All of the work 

 of plastering, modeling and smoothing is performed by the 

 mandibles and the first pair of legs. 



Strung along a road for about an eighth of a mile, Nichols 

 (79) discovered numerous nests of the mining bee Empor fusco- 

 jubatus Ckll. and watched the bees at work. The nest is begun 

 as a semicircular depression. The soil is moistened with water 

 brought in the mouth from a pond 75 yards away, is loosened 

 by the mandibles and is cast aside by the second and third pairs 

 of legs. As the burrow T increases in depth, a portion of the 

 removed soil is used to form a rim of moistened earth around 

 its mouth. When the nest has been stored with pollen and the 

 egg laid, this rim is removed and used to partly fill the burrow. 

 This partial filling of the nest leaves a shallow depression to 

 mark the spot. Less than 24 hours are required to complete 

 the nest. 



Benard (8) observed a large burrowing beetle (5. sacer L.) 

 rolling a ball the size of a small apple. He constructed a pen 

 out of pieces of tile and placed the beetle and her burden therein. 

 Immediately she seemed to lose interest in her ball. The 

 beetle w T as then placed on the outside of the enclosure; but her 

 ball of manure was left on the inside. The beetle darted off as 

 though it were trying to escape. After making several unsteady 

 strides, she halted and, for a moment, remained inactive. Then 

 she returned to the tile fence that enclosed her treasure. After 

 making several ineffective attempts to climb the wall, she tun- 



