THE ICARIA. 



489 



the cell-group, all the cells having their mouths downwards. 

 Above the cells comes the pent-house, by which the rain or any 

 falling substance is warded off the cells ; and, lastly, comes the 

 footstalk, by which the entire nest is suspended. The footstalk 

 itself is very hard and tough, but is notwithstanding composed 

 of the same material as the cells, except that the fibres are 

 closely pressed together, instead of being spread out in flakes. 

 The reader may find examples of such footstalks in any English 

 wasp's nest, the successive layers of cells being supported, or 

 rather suspended, by a number of short footstalks constructed 

 in exactly the same manner. 



This long and slender footstalk gives the name to the genus. 

 The name Mischocyttarus is formed from two Greek words, the 

 first of which signifies a stem or stalk, and the latter a cell. 



The form of nest which is here given is that which is usually 

 fou.nd, but there are cases where the insect has built two, or 

 even three layers of cells, one above another, and all hanging 

 by the same stalk. Whenever this is the case, the central 

 layer always seems to be the largest. 



It is not very easy to describe the insect which is here shown, 

 so exceedingly variable is it. In fact, out of the six specimens 

 in the British Museum, al- ' ; 



though the colours are the same, 

 no two have them arranged in 

 the same manner. The speci- 

 men which has been selected for 

 the illustration is black, with a 

 rust-red belt round the centre of 

 the abdomen; while another has 

 this colouring exactly reversed, 

 and the others have the black 

 and red distributed in various 

 modes. The specific name, fcr- 

 Tuginea, i.e. " made of iron," re- 

 fers to the rust-red of the body. 



As may be seen by the iUustration, the cell-group, like that 

 of the Mischocyttarus, hangs by a single footstalk, but the ceUs 

 are very differently arranged. In the former case they are 

 placed somewhat symmetrically around the first cell, but in 



2u4— icana ferrugiuea. 

 (Black and rust-red.) 



