24 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. 



tained. In the present instance, this peculiarity was not 

 seen ; bnt the little architect was detected in closing up 

 the entrance, which was formed of a la3'er of clay more 

 than double the thickness of the interior lining. In 

 November following, we hewed away the brick around this 

 nest, and found the whole excavation was rather less than 

 an inch in depth. 



Notwithstanding all the precautions of the careful parent 

 to conceal her nest, it was found out by one of the cuckoo 

 flies ( Tachina larvanmi .?) — probabl}^ a common species very 

 similar to the house-fly, but rather larger, which deposited 



Cuckoo-Fly.— (Tac/Mna taruarunif)— Xatural size. 



an egg there ; and the grub hatched from it, after devouring 

 one of the wasp-grubs, formed itself a cocoon (a), as did 



Mason- Wasp's Nest and Coeouns. — About one-thii-ii tlio natural size. 



the other undevoured grub of the wasp (6). Both awaited 

 the return of summer to change into winged insects, burst 

 their cerements, and proceed as their parents did. 



Another mason wasp (Ochjnerus murarius, Latr.), diflfer- 



Mdson-W a?.\).—((klijncnis vinrariit.'i).—'S a.t\\ri\\ size. 



ing little in appearance from the former, may often be seen 



