THE SPIDEB a A VISHERS. 168 



held it by one of the remaining legs and went forward, some- 

 times half flying. We took the spider from her and found 

 that it was dead. 



We have recently received from Mr. George Dimmock a 

 very interesting account, together with the specimens, of a find 

 of a set of cells of hombycina. We give the description from 

 the notes that he has generously placed at our disposal: 



September, 16, 1895. Found a wasp nest under a stone at Canobie 

 Lake, N. H. It consisted of sixteen small mud cells about 15x8 mm. 

 (PI. IX., fig. 3). Eight of these cells contained spiders — each cell a 

 single spider — and all the spiders were of one species, Lycosa Kochii, 

 Two were immature females, three mature females and three, mature 

 males. In the other cells were the remains of single spiders more or 

 less eaten. With one exception these spiders were deprived of all 

 their legs but not of their palpi. One spider retained, in addition to 

 the palpi, its anterior pair of legs (PI. IX., fig. 2). One cell contained 

 a spun-in-pupa, and in the remaining cells (i. e., eight) the spiders 

 were so far devoured that the species could not be readily deter- 

 mined. In one cell was an egg fastened upon a spider and in others 

 larvae in various stages of development. Thus all stages of the young, 

 from egg to pupa (and imago) were represented, only a single imago 

 being found. She did not attempt to defend the nest but hid in the 

 grass near at hand." 



Thus the statements of Goureau and Brehm are confirmed 

 and there can be no, doubt that some of the solitary wasps have 

 the remarkable habit of cutting off some or all of the legs of 

 the spiders that they use for storing their nests. When Mr. 

 Dimmock sent us the spiders and cells, we found, upon exam- 

 ination, that a single spider was just large enough to fit com- 

 fortably one of the cells. If the legs had not been removed 

 the victim would have beenj too large for its coffin. The habits 

 of this wasp prove that in this instance at least, a dead and con- 

 siderably mutilated spider serves the larva for food quite as well 

 as a paralyzed caterpillar does in the case of Ammophila. 



Agenia architecta Say. 



For a few days before the fourth of July our flag stood in 

 the corner of the porch, and when we unfurled it, on the na- 



