1877.] 91 



Acrontfcla, this idea received no support. On the following day, the larva cast its 

 skin, without any noteworthy change in its appearance, except that it had two long 

 hairs near the head and a few short hairs ou the body. Its genei-al appearance and 

 striking resemblance to a bird's-dropping were as before, and in this respect it was 

 calculated to deceive a casual observer, if not its natural enemie.s, the birds them- 

 selves. It fed up well on birch for five days, when it spun a web on a leaf, and 

 prepared to undergo another moulting. This I watched with some anxiety as to 

 the result, and on the 14th ins(., I had the pleasure of witnessing the most wonder- 

 ful transformation in the appearance of a lai'va that I have ever observed. It is now 

 veritably alni. All traces of white are gone, the gi'ound colour is a beautiful black, 

 and it has the usual brilliant yellow markings and clubbed hairs, which give it some- 

 what the appearance of a centipede. In 1874, I found a larva of alni in the New 

 Forest, which produced a fine imago the following year, but I was unable then to 

 fix upon the food-plant. The larva that I now possess is feeding up well upon birch. 

 — J. Platt Baerett, 34, Eadnor Street, Peckham : August \Qth, 1877. 



Notes on the habits of Chlorion lobatum and two species of wasps in India. 

 — WTien out collecting last month, in the neighbourhood of Pultah, I was much 

 amused with watching the proceedings of a fine female of this beautiful Sphex. 

 I observed it emerge and fly from its nest, a tunnel in the earth, out of which a pair 

 of antennae were immediately thrust iu such a pleading manner, that I at once took 

 hold and helped out of the hole a large species of field cricket, which I then left 

 near the mouth of the tunnel in rather a weak and helpless condition ; it was not 

 many minutes before C. lobatum flew back to its nest, disappeared down the tunnel, 

 missed the cricket, and flew out again in a rage, but, soon discovering the runaway, 

 seized it with its mandibles, and shook it in the same manner as a terrier does a rat ; 

 it then plunged its sting into the body of its victim several times, then drew it off 

 to the mouth of its tunnel, down which it went first, with the intention of pulling 

 the cricket after it, but by this time several ante, a powerful species of Ponera, had 

 taken a fancy to the cricket, which they had seized by the hind legs and just managed 

 to draw clear of the hole ; out came the Chlorion, and seeing what was wrong, darted at 

 the ants, and threw them out of the way ; then followed the shaking and stinging 

 process, and again the cricket was drawn to the mouth of the tunnel, down which 

 the Chlorion disappeared as before. This time I took the place of the interfering ants, 

 and threw the cricket some two or three feet clear of the hole, out came the Chlorion 

 in a terrible fluster, and evidently a little uncertain tliis time as to the cause of the 

 theft, but a few Ponerce being near, the Chlorion concluded they had probably some- 

 thing to do with it, and accordingly jerked them well out of the way, and then 

 proceeded to search for the missing cricket : the nest was first examined five or six 

 times, to make sure the cricket had gone, the ground immediately round the nest 

 was then carefully examined, but not meeting with any success, the Sjihex commenced 

 working in a circle which gradually increased in size till the circumference took in 

 the body of the cricket, which was then brought back as before. I repeated my 

 experiment many times, and each time the Chlorion went through exactly the same 

 routine, working in a circle, and jerking all Ponerm out of the way ; smaller ants, 

 of which there were numbers about, of several species, were not touched. On one 

 occasion, after the cricket had been brought back to the hole, I held it with my stict, 



