2o6 INSECT LIFE 



XV 



materials if they are not to be blocked prematurely. 

 What they want is a light soil, easy to mine, where 

 the sandy element is cemented by a little clay and 

 lime. The edges of paths — slopes of thin grass 

 exposed to the sun, — such are the places they favour. 

 In spring, from the first days of April, one sees 

 Ammophila hirsuta there ; in September and October 

 there are A. sabulosa, A. argentata, and A. holosericea. 

 I will make an abstract of the notes furnished by 

 these four species. 



For all four the burrow is a vertical shaft, a kind 

 of well, with at most the dimension of a large goose 

 quill, and about two inches deep. At the bottom is 

 a single cell, formed by a simple widening of the 

 shaft. To sum up, it is a poor dwelling, obtained 

 at small expense, at one sitting, affording no pro- 

 tection if the larva had not four wrappers in its 

 cocoon, like the Sphex. The Ammophila excavates 

 alone, deliberately, with no joyous ardour. As usual, 

 the anterior tarsi do duty as rakes and the mandibles 

 as mining tools. If some grain of sand offer too 

 much resistance, you may hear rising from the 

 bottom of the well a kind of shrill grinding sound, 

 produced by the vibration of the wings and entire 

 body as if to express the insect's struggles. 

 Frequently the Hymenopteron comes up with a load 

 of refuse in its jaws, some bit of gravel which it 

 drops as it flies some little way off, in order not to 

 block up the place. Some appear to merit special 

 attention by their form and size, — at least the 

 Ammophila does not treat them like the rest, for 

 instead of carrying them away on the wing, she 

 goes on foot and drops them near the shaft. They 



