THE rillT.ANTIII. . 227 



the corselet, and stings it in the body. The bee, being a brave 

 insect, offers great resistance, but the Philanthns rarely misses 

 its aim, and usually succeeds in imparting some of its venom to 

 the unfortunate victim. The bee becomes convulsed, and thrusts 

 out its sting here and there, but it is of no use, and insensibility 

 soon comes on. Then the attacking insect seizes the bee with 

 its mandibles and legs, and flies off with its burden. As the 

 PhilantJnis approaches its nest it may often be noticed to stop, 

 as if it feared some hidden danger, but sooner or later it intro- 

 duces its prey, lays an cg^, and closes the gallery. 



In the engraving two females may be observed carrying bees 

 which they have stupefied. In the earth, on the right-hand side, 

 a bee has just been introduced into a cell; in the next gallery 

 a large larva has consumed the greater part of its provisions, 

 and in the three other cells the larvce may be observed in their 

 cocoons, which have transparent walls. 



The PJdlantJd often frequent particular places in great numbers, 

 and many hundreds of them may be seen working simultaneously, 

 but without taking any notice of each other. Not only do they 

 display indefatigable industry, but very great boldness also, for 

 every now and then they do not hesitate to come near beehives, 

 and to seek their prey in such very dangerous neighbourhoods, 

 for certainly they might easily be destroyed by the efforts of a 

 number of their victims. The larva is rather compact in shape, 

 and attains its full growth when it has eaten its bee ; it then 

 constructs a silken cocoon with very thin walls, which are almost 

 transparent. The cocoon is of a very peculiar shape, for it resembles 

 a small long bottle ; its bottom is round, and the neck is very 

 visible, and appears to be closed with a black Avax ; in fact, the 

 cocoons of PhilantJms resemble the tiny bottles in which homoeo- 

 paths carry about their remedies. Water renders the cocoons 

 quite transparent. 



The Great Crabro {Crabro cepJialotcs) makes holes and cells 

 in rotten wood, with the aid of its mandibles, which have a bifid 

 termination, and it victuals its nest with flies. 



The small CcmoiiJis lugiibris constructs regular cells in the 

 stems of briars, and the accompanying engraving represents the 

 curious appearance of the cells in a twig of a wild rose. 



r 2 



