THE DENIZENS OF AN OLD CHERRY TREE. 13 



fully half as large as their captor, and of strong flight. The 

 dexterity and power of the Crabi'o in securing and bringing home 

 such living prey is obvious, for, alone and unassisted, the burdened 

 insect unerringly flies home through the brilliant sunlight, and, 

 aided by a sense to us unknown^ deposits her burden in a chamber 

 where the light scarcely, or never, enters. This fine Crabro is also 

 subject to the attack of the little parasite Ptero7nahis apu77i^ and, 

 as noted elsewhere, we found in one of its cocoons twenty-seven 

 pupae of its enemy, while another cocoon examined contained 

 seventeen living specimens. 



The marvellous industry displayed by the female fossores in 

 forming their varied burrows and galleries of each nidus is a sub- 

 ject of the greatest interest, and when we examine the organs and 

 limbs of these active creatures, our wonder is increased at their 

 beautiful adaptation to the functions performed. We cannot but 

 admire the suitability of such an instrument as the mandible of a 

 Crabro (Fig. 3, PI. II.) for reducing the wood into fragments 

 suitable for removal by the rakes and brushes of the leg (Fig. 7, 

 PI. II), and, did time and space permit, we should like to point 

 out many other interesting features in the economy of these 

 creatures. The appended list of insects found in this rotten stump 

 is not exhaustive, and its Fauna could have been much 

 extended with notices of the Crustaceans, Myriapods, and Arach- 

 noidea, met with in the mined wood ; while, to a student of Fungi, 

 several, and perhaps some uncommon forms, especially in connec- 

 tion with the fossorial stores, could have been observed. One 

 species, at least, appears to form part of the pabulum of the 

 larvse of the dipterous genus Sciara. 



If by this brief and imperfect notice of the denizens of our 

 cherry stump we may arouse the interest of any reader to under- 

 take the investigation of some of the hidden marvels of the 

 insect world, our labour of love — performed under many difficul- 

 ties — vvill not have been in vain. 



" There are deep thoughts of tranquil joy, 

 For those who thus their minds employ ; 

 And trace the wise design that lurks 

 In holy Nature's meanest works." 



