THE RUBY-TAILS. 251 



beautiful little insect may be constantly seen in the 

 hottest days of summer, settling upon walls and other 

 situations where the Mason- Bees usually form their 

 cells; it is exceedingly active, running and flying 

 about constantly, with a continual vibration of its 

 antennae. 



The habits and appearance of the other species are 

 very similar, but many of them frequent different 

 situations. Some, such as the species of Cleptes 

 above referred to, are generally found upon the 

 ground amongst plants ; others frequent sand-banks, 

 the trunks, and even the leaves of trees. They feed, 

 in the perfect state, upon the nectar of flowers, and 

 are often seen in search of this upon the Umbelliferge. 



The principal character by which these insects are 

 distinguished from those of the preceding tribe is to be 

 found in the structure of the abdomen. In the Spi- 

 culiferaj this region of the body exhibits either six or 

 seven segments, but in the Ruby-tails, the number 

 of apparent abdominal segments does not exceed four 

 in the females and five in the males, whilst in many 

 cases the former have only three, and the latter four 

 segments in the abdomen. The remaining two or 

 three segments are greatly reduced in diameter and 

 concealed within the tail, sliding into one another 

 like the tubes of a telescope, — an organization which 

 enables them to be protruded at pleasure to a con- 

 siderable distance, equal in some instances to the total 

 length of the insect. From this arrangement of the 

 terminal segments of the abdomen in its members, 

 the tribe has received the name of Tubulifera. At 

 the extremity of the last of these little tubes there is 

 a delicate, pointed ovipositor, which, according to Mr. 

 Westwood, exhibits exactly the same parts as the 



