y^ [September, 



sand, whilst blue-bottles and similar bulky creatures were feasted upon 

 on the surface. When all the juices had been extracteil, the carcases 

 were jerked out of the holes, in outward appearance none the worse 

 for the operations performed upon them. In the day-time, I never 

 saw more of the larvse than their exposed mandibles ; but, during the 

 night, they would frequently make backward peregrinations over the 

 surface, as the long tracks left in the sand would testify. They had a 

 great aversion to moisture ; and once, when some water was accidentally 

 spilled into one end of their cage, they one and all deserted that 

 portion, nor did they return until it was thoroughly dry. The damp 

 sand would of course impede their progress, and could not be shaped 

 into pitfalls, or be thrown up to bring down any escaping prey. In 

 this way I fed them at the rate of about a fly a day to each, until these 

 were no longer obtainable, and then put them by to take their chance 

 for the winter. 



About the end of March, they having fasted fully five months, 

 I found them again shewing signs of activity, almost before I could 

 procure food for them, and appearing to have actually increased in size 

 in the interval. Two or three had died since they were first placed in 

 their cage, probably from the attacks of their fellows ; but the sur- 

 vivors, nine in number, were fed as in the autumn (occasionally 

 undergoing a compulsory fast for several days), and by the middle of 

 June, most of them had formed neat globular cocoons of silk and sand,* 

 and about the 5th of July the first imago emerged ; since then I have 

 bred six others, the last emerging on August 4th. But one larva was 

 still unchanged, though evidently full grown, and one day I found that 

 an imago had its abdomen drawn into the sand, and its juices being 

 extracted by this larva : being in want of an example for alcohol, I 

 killed it. It would appear probable that these larvae live nearly two 

 years in that state, as several of them were half grown when found. 



The images are very sluggish, and in the day-time they are 

 induced to move with much difficulty ; but as night approaches 

 they become restless. Indeed, M. Berce told me, and Eeaumur states 

 the same, that, although the larvse are abundant in the localities they 

 frequent, one scarcely ever sees the imago. 



In the " Entomologists' Annual " for 1858, p. 19, Dr. Hagen states ■ 

 that we may assume, as almost certain, that at least two species of 



• De RoTiiand once found a pupa on the surface of the sand, the larva having apparently formed 

 no cocoon (Vide Ann. Soc. Ent. France for 1850) ; but I think it probable that (his pupa had come out 

 of its cocoon rather prematurely, and had worked its way to the surface. Usually tlie exuvise of the 

 pupa are to be seen half in and half out of the cocoon. 



