the (Ecofwrnj/ of several Species o/* Hymenoptera. 15 



upon the posts of the summer-house, but I have not ascer- 

 tained any thing of its oeconomy. 



2. Sapyga Ai -guttata*^ Fab. 



The oeconomy of this insect, 1 believe, is not known. I have 

 taken two or three specimens flying about tlie posts. The 

 male is much rarer than the female. 



3. TrypoxylonJlg2dus\y Lat. 



This insect entombs spiders for the supply of its young ones. 

 I have often watched it carrying the spiders into holes in the 

 posts, and also into straws in the thatch. On splitting open 

 one of the latter I found a number of cells filled with spiders 

 and separated from one another by partitions of clay. Between 

 each cell, there was a space left of about a quarter of an inch, 

 so that there were two partitions between each cell, and be- 

 tween the last cell and the outside. There was one egg iii 

 each cell attached to the abdomen of a spider near the bottom 

 of the cell. The Trypoxylon sometimes buries very large 

 spiders compared with its own size, so that it can hardly jam 

 them into its hole. 



I was one day much amused with a male, who when the 

 female was absent often came, entered, and remained at the 

 entrance with his antennae just projecting as if he was keeping 

 watch to keep out parasitical insects^ and once when I placed my 

 hand over the hole so as to prevent the female entering, after 

 repeated attempts she flew away, and returned with the male 

 as if to ask his advice respecting the obstruction to her nest. 



The number of spiders in the cells of course differs accord- 

 ing to their size, there sometimes being only two if very large, 

 and sometimes as many as twelve or more if small. The 

 Trypoxylon does not appear to be partial to any particular 

 species. The female makes a buzzing noise when she is con- 

 structing the clay partitions. I believe the oeconomy of this 

 insect has never been distinctly ascertained before. 



4. Trypoxylon claxncerumX^ St. F. 

 The habits of this insect are similar to those of T.Jigulus^ 

 only burying very small spiders, and not leaving any space 

 between the cells. I believe that Mr. Shuckard and another 

 gentleman are the only persons who have taken it besides 

 myself. Its oeconomy has not been noticed before. 



5. Crahro spinipectus, Shuck. ? 

 The male of this insect is common about the posts of the 

 summer-house, but I have not been able to discover the fe- 

 male. 



• Curt. Brit. Ent., p. 532. f Ibid. p. 652, J Ibid. 



