The Bembex 



would be from one to two dozen, according 

 to the size of the Fly, which varies greatly 

 in the different species of Gad-flies. 



To avoid reopening this question of the 

 nature of the provisions, I will here give a 

 list of the Flies observed in the burrows of 

 the six species of Bembex that form the sub- 

 ject of this essay. 



1. Bembex olivacea, Rossi. I only once 

 saw this species, at Cavaillon, feeding on 

 Greenbottles. The five other species are 

 common in the Avignon neighbourhood. 



2. Bembex oculata, JuR. The Fly carry- 

 ing the egg is most often a Sphaerophoria, 

 especially S. scripta; sometimes it is a Geron 

 gibbosus. The later provisions include Sto- 

 moxys calcitrans, Pollenia ruficollis, P. rudis, 

 Pipiza nigripes, Syrphus corolla, Onesia vi- 

 arum, Calliphora vomitoria,^ Echinomyia in- 

 termedia, Sarcophaga agricola and Musca 

 domestica.^ The usual fare consists of 

 Stomoxys calcitrans, of which I have many a 

 time found fifty or sixty in a single burrow. 



3. Bembex tarsata, Lat. This one also 

 lays her egg on Spharophoria scripta. She 

 next hunts: Anthrax flava, Bombylius nitidu- 



iThe Bluebottle. — Translator's Note. 

 2The Common House-fly. — Translator's Note. 

 291 



