60 



PSYCHE. 



fApril 1894. 



I can find nothing published on an\' 

 American species ; hut Mr. H. G. Hub- 

 bard tells me that while a student at the 

 Cambridge museum, some j-ears ago, 

 he observed a species provisioning its 

 cells with the acorn weevil Balaninus 

 nas/ciis Say ; that specimens were given 

 to Dr. Hagen and will be found in 

 the Museum collection. From Mr. 

 Hubbard's verbal description I think 

 this insect may be Cerceris veiiator 

 Cr. 



Cerceris fumipemiis Say provisions 

 its cells with Chrvsobothris deutipes, 

 according to observations made by Mr. 

 Hubbard. 



The genus Philanthus Fabr. preys 

 upon bees. Latreille who first dis- 

 covered the habits of a species in this 

 genus (Hist. nat. fourmis, p. 307) 

 found that Philatithus triangidum 

 Fabr. dug burrows in hot sandv situa- 

 tions and provisions its nest with 

 honey-bees ; a single bee being suffi- 

 cient food supply for rearing a single 

 wasp. The genus is poorly repre- 

 sented in Europe ; but in this country 

 we have manv described species. 

 Although so well represented, not a 

 single note seems to have been pub- 

 lished concerning the habits of any 

 species. 



In the south I have observed P/iil- 

 antJiJis punctatiis Say joreving upon 

 Halictus dhparalis Cr. and other 

 small Halicti. 



P^amilv VIII. Nyssonidae. Al- 

 though this family is represented in 

 our fauna by S genera and 56 species, 

 not a word has been published con- 

 cerning the habits of a single species. 



The genus Gorytes Latr. seems to 

 confine its attacks to Homopterous 

 insects belonging to the family Cercep- 

 idae. Westwood says : — 



In June, 1837, I o'bserved the fem.ile of 

 Gorytes mystaceus engaged in protruding 

 her legs and sting into a patch of the frothy 

 secretion caused by the larva of Afhrophora 

 sputnaria, without, however, being able to 

 dislodge the occupant. Subsequently I saw 

 it siinilarly occupied with a drop of water, 

 evidently mistaken for the froth, but unsuc- 

 cessfully; but I shortly afterwards observed it 

 with a larva of this insect, which it carried be- 

 neath its body by the help of its middle legs. 

 Mr. Shuckard has also captured it, as well 

 as his G. Fargeii {^= G. campestris St. 

 Farg. .') with a similar prey. 



The genus Nysson Latr. is said to 

 nest in sand, but its prey has not beeti 

 observed. 



Faitiily IX. Be.mbecid.\e. This 

 family comprises some of the largest 

 and most showy of our fossorial wasps, 

 no less than twentv-four species, dis- 

 tributed in nine genera, being known to 

 occur in the United States. 



The genus Sphcciiis Dahlb. com- 

 prise the giants of the familv. which 

 as a bov, were known to me under the 

 naine of Qiieen Hornets, and I reallj' 

 believed them to be Qjicens of the 

 yellow-jackets. Although it has been 

 known for years that oiu" largest species, 

 Sphecius spcciosiis Drurv, formed its 

 burrows in the ground and provisioned 

 them with Cicadas, storing them with 

 Cicada dorsata, C. tibicens and C. 

 marginata., it was not until last vear, 

 in the publication of Dr. C V. Riley's 

 admirable article entitled "The larger 

 digger-wasp" in Insect life, vol. iv, p. 



