NOTES ON VARIOUS INSF.CTS. 481 



EXPLANATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS ON THE PRECEDING. 



Note A. — I have detected several species of Ichneumon 

 lujhcrnating , and especially the Icli, confasorius. 



Note B. — The observation does not show which insects came 

 from the cells, and which from the cocoon, as there appear to 

 have been several cells in this box besides those attached to 

 its side by the spinning larva. I have no doubt the insect is 

 my Chrysis neglecta. The doubt, as suggested in the note, 

 from the absence of the central longitudinal elevation upon the 

 second segment, is not of much moment to the identification of 

 the species, if the description otherwise agree. In my de- 

 scription I speak of this as a slight elevation ; it is sometimes 

 only to be distinguished by holding it so that the light may 

 fall laterally, when the shade distinctly shows it. It is never 

 (as far as I have seen) smooth, as it is in the ignita and its 

 cognates. I have never observed the species without it, although 

 it is sometimes nearly obsolete, consequently an extreme variety 

 may want it. This species, and the C. bldentata, I have usually 

 found busy about the trumpet-shaped protuberances formed by 

 Epipone (of the catalogues), Opdopus (Wesm.) splnipes, and 

 generally in sandy situations. 



Note C. — It would appear from this that it was a wasp 

 which spun the cocoon, as above, (Note B,) but it does not 

 show for what purpose the cottony down was spun here. Per- 

 haps, however, it was the remains of the cocoon, which the 

 wasp, in its anxiety to emancipate itself, had removed from the 

 sides of the cell. I have often found them scrape the inside of 

 pill boxes into flocks. 



Note D. — This is a remarkable observation. Your corre- 

 spondent's hypothesis does not satisflictorily explain it ; for 

 although it accounts for the presence of the " minute ichneu- 

 mons," it does not show why the "green larvie" were still 

 remaining. I can only suppose that either the parent wasp 

 which collected the larvze omitted to lay her egg!!!! or that 

 some accident destroyed it either before or after its develop- 

 ment, long before its maturity. It is not probable that it was 

 destroyed by the parasites, for had it been so, the larva would 

 have fully fed prior to its total destruction, and consumed the 

 whole of its provender ; their presence — (the cocoons of the 



NO. v. vor,. V. 3 Q 



