905.] 261 



having a net I was nnable to capture the insect, it flew very slowly in front of nie, 

 and settled on some dwarf elms by the roadside. I made a futile attempt to 

 capture it with my cap, with the usual result. I visited the place on the two 

 following days, but did not sec it again. It appeared to be a female and in fine 

 condition. — T. Dudley Willson, Dudley House, Ramsgate : October, 1905. 



Sotne Welnh Hymenoplera, with note on Ovijbehis muci-onatua and its prey ; 

 also possible relationship of Osmia xanthomelana and Sapyga. — -While painting at 

 Aberdovey (Merioneth), in July, 190 + , I spent a few hours on the sandhills, &c., 

 after Symenoptera. Tlie weather was as a rule suitable, but the commoner species, 

 with the exception of Pompilus pltimbeus, Mimesa unicolor, Mellinus arvensis and 

 Cerceris arenaria, were by no means abundant Oxybelns was, however, well 

 represented, and I obtained a good series in fine condition of both mucronatus and 

 mandibularis ; uniglumis being as usual most in evidence. I was much interested 

 watching the beautiful silvery ? s of mucronatus dragging the bodies of an almost 

 equally silvery ( (J ) fly (whicli Colonel Yerbury has kindly named as Thereva annu- 

 lata, Fab., to their burrows. I took them, however, with both sexes of this fly, and as 

 the ( ? ?) is brown it was not solely a question of " birds of a feather." O. nigripes 

 I searched for in vain. Tachytes unicolor occurred freely on flat patches of sand, as 

 did Agenia variegata on shale walls. The common Tachytes pectinijpes was less 

 abundant, but among the few I took was one with a golden face, the usual character- 

 istic of the rare lativalvis. Mr. Saunders has, however, relegated it to its proper 

 place as a var. of the humble pectinipes. ISapyga 5-pnnctata swarmed along all 

 the roads, and its behaviour in connection with a nest of the scarce Osmia xantho- 

 melana may be worth noting, since Sapyga's method of obtaining a livelihood 

 seems to be not definitely ascertained as yet. Though I watched the burrows of 

 the Osmia on many occasions, I was never able to see Sapyga enter one. The fact 

 remains however (for what it may be worth) that the Sapygas (all ? s) took, at 

 least, a violent interest in the Osmias (also ? s). I frequently saw the vicinity of 

 the burrows clear of Sapyga at one moment, while directly an Osmia returned 

 there were, as if by magic, perhaps half-a-dozen Sapygas flocking round the 

 burrow she had entered. Directly she left (but not until then) the Sapygas would 

 go to the mouth of tlie burrow and apparently peer into it — but, as I have said, I 

 did not see one actually enter. I can only say for certain that the Sapygas were 

 exceedingly interested in every movement of xanthomelana. Of Colletes daves- 

 iana, whose burrows swarmed all round that of the Osmia, they certainly took not 

 the smallest notice, and I cannot help thinking that something more than curiosity 

 prompted them to act as they did.— C. H. Moetimee, Holmwood : Oct. 10th, 1905. 



Aculeate Hymenoptera in the Neio Forest. — I spent about two months this year 

 in the New Forest at Brockenhurst, from July 7th to the end of August. The 

 first three weeks proved very successful for collecting, but after that the weather 

 changed, and the rest of the time might be called distinctly bad. In the following 

 list the number of specimens is stated when less than half-a-dozen or more were 

 taken : Methoca ichneumonides, 3 $ . Mutilla europcea, 2 $ and 1 J . Pom- 

 pilus plumbeus, $ and J; P. pectinipes, 2 $; P. mi.nuttdus, 1 ?. Salius affinis, 



Y 



