THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 29 



Then there are various species of Melanoplus, viz. allanis, 

 angusUpjniiis, pxckardi, scuiieri, and probably one or two others. 

 None as yet, however, have reached the winged state. We shall 

 also observe Ochnlidea cinerea and perhaps Amphitornus bieolor in 

 the more grassy spots. But, the most interesting of all and the 

 only species that can in any way be called indigenous to sand is 

 Trimerotropis agrestis. It is present over the whole area in various 

 stages of development, but what makes it particularly interesting 

 is its close resemblance in colour to the sand. It seems to have 

 an instinctive knowledge of its protective colouration, and as a 

 result individuals will be found quite motionless often partly 

 buried. The advantage of such protection is, of course, obvious. 

 On a bare area such as it inhabits, contrasting colours would at 

 once attract the attention of birds, such as crows, robins and 

 others, found in the vicinity, but with a dress matched so 

 perfectly detection is reduced to a minimum. 



Of bees and wasps there are numbers, a rich collecting ground 

 for a student of the Hymenoptera never as yet worked over. 

 Among the curiosities to a novice are numbers of large semi- 

 cylindrical cocoons originally buried, but often exposed by the 

 winds having shifted the sand. They belong to a large clumsy 

 predaceous wasp (Bembex pruinosa), which late in the season 

 becomes a perfect nuisance, buzzing noisily around one's person 

 after flies. To those who do not know they prove quite a terror 

 and I have seen some interesting movements due to fear of being 

 stung. As a matter of fact, however, they appear to be exceed- 

 ingly harmless, and I have never observed them sting anything 

 larger than a fly, which they use as food for their larvae. 



We shall also meet with numerous true flies (Diptera) though 

 the majority of them are not indigenous to the sand but have 

 been reared in the bog close by — tabanids are there in thousands 

 and it is hardly safe at times to take horses into the vicinity. 

 They do not particularly trouble mankind, however, and on the 

 sand, males are often more plentiful than females, indeed they can 

 be seen hovering in every sunny glade but dart away like a flash 

 when disturbed. 



A few flies, however, make their homes here. One, a very 

 pretty Bee-fly, probably belonging to the genus Exoprosopa, I 



