628 Habits of Trichiosbma lucbrum. 



formed in a Bank. — In the volume on Insect Architecture, 

 published in The Library of Entertaining Knowledge, at p. 79., 

 is the following passage : — " The hornet, also, does not 

 build underground, but in the cavities of trees, or in the 

 thatch, or under the eaves of barns." An exception to this 

 occurred, under my own observation, in July [1834], when 

 I assisted in destroying a hornet's nest formed in a bank, 

 composed of soft light grey sand and heath : it was in a re- 

 cent state, there being only four or five hornets, and but few 

 cells : the greater number of the latter were occupied by 

 grubs. — John Reynolds Howe, Wimborne, Dorsetshire, Nov. 4. 

 1834. 



Trichiosbma lucbrum (V. 85. 748., VI. 157., VII. 265.}, 

 the Larvce of, iti the earlier Stages of its Existence, does, when 

 disturbed, eject from Pores [7] in its Body a Liquid in thin 

 fountain-like Columns. Facts on other Habits of the Species. — 

 The larvae of this insect having been peculiarly abundant 

 this season, on all the hawthorns around Dundee, I have had 

 an opportunity of observing their habits, and can corroborate 

 the curious fact of their ejecting from the pores of their bodies 

 "a liquid in thin fountain-like columns;" stated by Mr. 

 Fennel 1 in VI. 157., but there ascribed, through mistake, to 

 the larvae of Tenthredo amerinae. The doubt expressed, in 

 VII. 266., of this habit being usual to the species, has pro- 

 bably arisen from the circumstance of its being manifested 

 only during the earlier stages of the insect's existence ; for, 

 when the larva appears in its last coat, no trace of this habit 

 remains. The fluid, which is of a green colour, and strong 

 disagreeable odour, is spirted with such violence as often to 

 force it to the distance of more than a foot from the insect ; 

 and its use is, perhaps, to defend the larva, in its more tender 

 state, from the annoyance of the ichneumon flies. In the 

 last stage of its growth, the head, which, in the previous stages, 

 was black, is of a bright red colour, gradually softening into 

 yellow towards the sides ; and the body appears less mealy- 

 like, but is thickly covered with white transverse ridges. They 

 feed only during the night, and repose themselves, half coiled 

 up, on the under sides of the leaves throughout thejday. They 

 first made their appearance here, this season, about the 22d of 

 June, and in the beginning of August were transformed into 

 pupae. I might just add, that I have found the beautiful 

 figure and description, with which Mr. Woodward has fur- 

 nished us in V. 85., perfectly accurate, with the exception of 

 his supposing it possible that the fibrous appearance of the 

 pupa case was owing, in part, to " the agglutinated hairs of 

 the larva." The larva, unfortunately, cannot apply its hairs 



