HABITS OF THE SAND WASPS. 461 



one being wliite, and looking something like paper, while the 

 second or inner cocoon is made of similar material, but has a 

 dark, smooth lining. 



Our first example of these insects, AmmopMla melanaria, is a 

 native of Brazil. The head is rather small and rounded, and 

 the jaws are long, sharply pointed, curved in a sickle-like form, 

 and are armed with a boldly projecting -tooth in the middle of 

 the inner margin. This structure enables the insect to grasp its 

 prey firmly, as it drags it into the narrow tunnel. The wings 

 are transparent, and the colour of the head, thorax, and abdomen 

 is black, as is shown by the specific name, mdanaria, which is 

 formed from the Greek, and signifies " blackish." The footstalk 

 of the abdomen is very long 

 and slender, being, indeed, 

 scarcely thicker than a fine 

 pin. 



Our second species of Am- 

 mophila is a native of Para. 

 Like the preceding species, 

 it is black, but its tarsi are 

 armed with long spikes, which ^t-*' _- 



is not the case with its Bra- '- ' ^ - . .-'-"^"-r^'- -__ 



zilian relative. The jaws are i^^^-";;^^^?^- ' 



very powerful, toothed, and 



, , , p ,. Fig. -il.— Ammophila opulenta. 



remarkable tor a narrow Inie (Biacu.) 



of long curved hairs along 



their outer edge. There are great numbers of insects belonging 



to this genus in the British Museum, and it is remarkable that 



among that large and varied collection there is not one single 



specimen which is not dull-coloured. 



Scarcely any of the genus Pelopa3us are known to exist 

 except in the warmest portions of the earth. Their generic 

 name is taken from a Greek word signifying " mud," and is given 

 to them because they make their nests of sand ; it is very finely 

 worked and kneaded, and then left to dry in the heated air. 

 The nest is generally composed of a series of cells, each being 

 closed as it is completed, and the entrance being always from 

 beneath. The Pelopffii store their nests with various insects, 



