Vol. XXVli] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 277 



Jn order to make sure that it was a case of rivalry among the 

 males I took them to ascertain the sexes ; they were so intent 

 upon their business that with one grasp of the hand I captured 

 all of them but three ; the eleven insects captured were ten 

 males and one female. We may only surmise the sex of the 

 three which escaped. When I placed those captured in the vial 

 I noticed a mass of yellow substance hanging from the abdomen 

 of the female ; it was a cluster of a half dozen eggs. Whether 

 these had been protruded after mating, or in sweeping with my 

 hand I had forced them out, I do not know, but this seems cer- 

 tain : some females are more attractive than others, and this 

 may be in relation to the maturation of their eggs. This may 

 show also the value of the sun dance ; the playfulness and the 

 "false matings" being merely steps to the discovery of the 

 individuals which are physiologically ready for immediate 

 mating. 



Later in the same week I went out to this place at 4.30 in 

 the afternoon, looking for the sun dance or sleeping behavior 

 of these sawflies. The weather was cloudy and threatening 

 rain. Over the low grass over which they had frolicked so 

 lustily a day or two before none were to be seen, but many 

 were on the box elder leaves where, I judge, they were prepar- 

 ing to spend the night. They were not gregarious, but there was 

 usually one to a leaf ; they walked drowsily about, occasionally 

 slowly biting at the leaf with the mandibles. They did not 

 penetrate the leaf deeply enough to leave a mark upon it, but 

 it appeared that they were getting the benefit of some invisible 

 substance from the leaf, perhaps some liquid or some fuzz, 

 but the whole process was slow enough to assure an observer 

 that the activities were only those of tired creatures. A little 

 later, about 6 o'clock, many were resting motionless upon the 

 leaves, and while I could not return during the night to see if 

 they were still in their places, I felt confident that they were 

 settled for the night. 



One week later, May 5, I returned to the place in the fore- 

 noon when I hoped for better results, but in my search from 

 10 to 12 o'clock T found only three wandering individuals, all 

 females. 



