HYMENOPTERA. 120 



papers on this aud kindred subjects. I regret I have 

 not space to quote much of Dr. Chapman's well- 

 narrated words, but must content myself with a short 

 summary, 



Ghrysis ignita, the most abundant of the family, will 

 lay her eggs in the nest of almost any kind of Wasp or 

 Bee, to which she can obtain access. Occasionally she 

 will visit the burrows of Ochjnerus Spimpes (one of the 

 Mason Wasps). Two other species of Kuby-tails, viz., 

 Ghrysis neglecta and C. h'ldentata, are specially attached 

 to this Mason W^asp, and apparently to no other ; these 

 two Ruby-tails are common where the Mason Wasp 

 abounds. The nest of another Mason Wasp {Odynerm 

 parietum) was seen to be visited by the Ghrysis ignita ; 

 the narration is as follows: — '- On July 17th, I observed 

 a nest of 0. p)CLrietiim with one cell open, containing a 

 nearly complete supply of lepidopterous larvse, A 

 Ghrysis ignita, flying about, settled beside the cell, and 

 alter a brief examination with her antennse, wheeled 

 round, and introducing her abdomen into the cell, rested 

 for about twenty seconds, doubtless, in the act of 

 oviposition. I now regret that I did not then examine 

 the contents of the cell, in order to ascertain the 

 fate of Odynerus parietum' s Qgg. Three-quarters of an 

 hour later, 0. pay^ietum had closed the cell with the 

 usual earthen pellets. I examined this cell on the 

 19th, two days after, when I found a larva of G. ignita 

 a quarter of an inch long, together with several of the 

 lepidopterous larvse stored by the Wasp, but found no 

 trace of either egg or larva of the latter. On the 23rd, 

 six days from the date of oviposition, the Ghrysis larva 

 had eaten all the store, and was full fed. I obtained 



K 



