16 Mr. A. Kennedy's Observations upon 



6. Stigmus troglodytes. Van L. 



I have taken four or five females of this insect and one male. 

 On the 22nd of July I saw a female enter a straw with its prey 

 in its mouth, and on splitting the straw open I found a great 

 many minute insects, which appeared to be the larvae of a 

 Thrips, I should think there must have been at least fifty 

 in one cell. There were two cells, separated from one another 

 by partitions which appeared to be made of the scrapings of the 

 inside of the straw cemented together. I also noticed a female 

 with its prey enter a hole in one of the posts. I do not think 

 the oeconomy of this insect has ever been noticed before. 



7. Diodonttis insignis, Van L. 



The males of D, insignis were common about the summer- 

 house from the beginning of July to the end of the same month, 

 but 1 have not been able to find one female. 



8. Diodontus gracilis^, Curt. 



The female supplies its young with aphides, which I have 

 noticed it take from the leaves of the ivy. It makes its cells 

 in the straws of the thatch, and separates them by partitions 

 made apparently of the same materials as those o( D,corniger. 

 I have not taken any males. 



9. Diodontus corniger. Shuck. 



The male of this insect I first took on the 3rd of July, and 

 the female on the 8th. The females were tolerably common 

 towards the end of the month, but I have only taken six or 

 seven males. The female provides aphides for the food of its 

 young, and it appears to take them from the holes of other 

 insects. I have often watched it entering holes in the posts 

 and returning with aphides to its own hole. It carried them 

 one by one in its mouth; and what was very curious, in going 

 from its own to the other hole it ran straight along the post, 

 but in returning with an aphis, although the holes were not 

 half a foot apart, it flew off some distance before it conveyed 

 its prey home. No other insect appeared to inhabit the holes 

 from which it took the aphides. The partitions between each 

 cell are made of a sticky transparent substance laid over with 

 small fibres of wood. I have watched the female closing the 

 orifice with the same material. After she had completely 

 closed it with the propolis she went into another hole, and re- 

 turned with small fibres of wood, which she plastered over, 

 and this when dry became hard and strong. The habits of 

 this insect have not been noticed by any one else, and I believe 

 Mr. Shuckard is the only person who has taken it before 

 myself. 



• Curt. Brit. Ent., pi. 49G. 



