124 HYMENOPTERA 



the deluded flies, until a safe opportunity presents itself, when 



its prey is taken without any 



chance of failure ; such is its 



ordinary mode of proceeding. At 



Bournemouth the flies are more 



active, more difficult to capture, 



or have they unmasked the 



treacherous Mdlinus i and is it 



found necessary to adopt some 



fresh contrivance in order to 



^ ^ accomplish its ends ? if so, it is 



Fig. 48. — Mellinus arvcnsls ?. Britain. j. ] n ■ i- • i • t 



not dencient m devices. i 



noticed once or twice, what T took to be a dead specimen of 

 Mellinas, lying on patches of cow-dung ; but on attempting 

 to pick them \\\) off' they flew ; I at once suspected the crea- 

 ture, and had not long to wait Ijefore my suspicions were 

 confirmed. Another, apparently dead fellow, was obser\'ed ; and 

 there, neither moving head or foot, the treacherous creature lay, 

 until a fine specimen of a Bluebottle ventured within its grasp, 

 when, active as any puss, the Mellinns started into life, and 

 pounced upon its victim." 



Lucas states that in the north of France McUinns sahv.Iosus 

 provisions its nest with Diptera, which it searches for on the 

 flowers of Umbelliferae, and tlien carries to its nest. This is a 

 burrow in the earth, and when it is reached the Hymeno])teron 

 deposits its Insect burden for a moment on the ground while it 

 turns round in order to enter the burrow backwards. The same 

 writer states that two varieties of this Insect live together — or 

 rather in the same colonies — and make use of different species 

 of Diptera, even of different genera, as food for their young. 

 These Diptera are stung before being placed in the nest. The 

 stinging does not kill the Insect, however, for Lucas was able to 

 keep one specimen alive for six weeks after it had passed this 

 trying ordeal. 



Sub-Fam. 8. Philanthides. — Lahmm small ; nntertor vmigs with 

 three complete st'ti/iwrffinal cells; hind hoch/ constricted at 

 the base hut not so as to form a sloider vedicel. 



This sub-family contains Insects resembling wasps or Cra- 

 bronides in appearance, and is, as regards the pronotal structure. 



