356 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



segments. It was nervous the whole time and appeared to be very much 

 excited, but as the two halves of the body were nearly severed it seemed 

 to get almost frantic, biting and tugging desperately at the joining shreds 

 of viscera until they parted. 



The cephalic half of the larva's body was then grasped and worked 

 with the jaws until it became round, and the wasp then made an attempt 

 to carry it off, but without success. 



It was then reduced in size, by severing with the jaws into halves 

 again, the insect showing the same frantic movements as before. 



The morsel reduced to a convenient size, the mother wasp climbed 

 and reclimbed a nearby corn-plant, until it finally reached a point from 

 which it could safely launch itself into the air. It arose heavily, flew in 

 about eight concentric circles, with the morsel of meat grasped in its legs, 

 then arose obliquely about twenty-five feet, and flew away in a straight 

 south-westerly direction until lost from view. 



When first attacking the caterpillar the sting was held in a threaten- 

 ing attitude, but was not used as far as could be seen. The younger larva 

 dropped by the wasp bore a large wound in the second thoracic segment ; 

 it was not dead, but limp and helpless. 



The predaceous habits of this species are well known, and they have 

 often been recorded as active enemies of many of our injurious insects. 

 Their nests are especially abundant in the corn and cotton fields of Texas, 

 and they doubtless destroy many larvae which feed exposed on the foliage, 

 and any others which, though internal feeders, may become exposed 

 during their lifetime, through chance or otherwise. Other females of this 

 species of Polistes have been observed to catch boll-worm larvae exposed 

 as in the foregoing, and strip the integument from their bodies and then 

 chew the whole into a roundish mass of meat and carry them off to their 

 nests. These larvie, however, were younger. 



The Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Ontario will 

 be held in the Biological building at the Ont. Agricultural College, Guelph, 

 on Thursday, Oct. 31, and Friday, Nov. i. The sessions will begin on 

 the afternoon of the former day, and be continued during the day following. 

 The Wellington Field Naturalists' Club will hold its annual meeting on 

 Saturday, Nov. 2, and hopes that all in attendance will remain over that 

 day. Popular addresses under the auspices of both Societies will be given 

 on the Thursday and Friday evenings. Members intending to be present 

 will please notify the Secretary at their earliest convenience, 



