4 Trnns. Acad, of St. Louis 



iilatin<j: the licad and tliorax in a lover like fasliioii. Witli 

 this exertion they make a ^reat deal of stridulatini^ noise, 

 similar to the shar]) scpieak which they emit when they 

 are held uj) scinirminii: in the forceps. These Mntillids in 

 the jelly-fj:lasses seldom came to the top. After fonr days 

 had clasped an examination was made; both wasps and 

 larvae seemed healthv, but there was no evidence of anv 

 parasitism. The beetle larvae were fed on insects, but 

 nothinir was placed in the ca^^es for the Mntillids, yet at 

 this time they looked none the worse for lack of food. 

 Since propinquity did not affect them, the experiments 

 were abandoned. 



A dozen or so other Mntillids were kept for later study 

 in a tish-^lobe. There was no soil in this ^lass jar, but 

 a few ^rape-leaves were strewen on the bottom for the 

 comfort of the insects, and in one corner was a cloth kept 

 moist with sweetened water, Durinp^ the first two days 

 they were out and active, and at ni^ht they would creep 

 in between the folds of the leaves for sleep, but later 

 when they were in a w^eakened condition they seldom 

 came from their hiding places. They lived only a week; 

 just why they were so short-livtHl I do not understand, 

 since without food the others lived nearly as lon^. It 

 may be that they were more comfortable in the damp cool 

 earth of the jelly-classes, or perhaps they found some- 

 thing of a nutritive nature in the soil. I have spoken 

 only of the females so far, because in several visits to this 

 area in early July, no males had been discovered. 



Some twelve days later, July i!4-l2r), a thorough search 

 was made in this same area and tiien only males were 

 abundant and only the species Brursin hcrar Blake [S. 

 A. Kohwer]. They were constantly on the winu: in a zi^- 

 zap: flight from two to four inches above tlie ground. 

 Their stops were few and far between, and they paused 

 only for toilet-makin,u:. I suppose they were seekini^ 

 the females. The priority of the emergence of one 

 sex seems here to be reversed, at least in so far as 



