336 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



to the ants that an elephant does to man : I have, however, 

 often seen three ants bring one of the largest to the ground 

 in spite of all its exertions. Their sting is very severe, but 

 the pain occasioned is evanescent. 



29. M. pyrlformis, Sm.) Resemble M. gulosa exactly in 



30. M. iarsaUi, Sm. > habit. 



31. M. nigrocincta, Sm. — Makes a small dome-shaped 

 hill of earth, and covers it very neatly with small sticks and 

 leaves. This insect is remarkable for the leaps it takes in 

 running, often jumping over a foot of ground at a leap ; it 

 also jumps from the trunks of trees upon persons walking 

 near it. Its sting is very severe. 



32. M. picta, Sm. — I only found a few solitary individuals. 



33. M. urens, Lowne. — Worker 4 lines long. Black. 

 Mandibles, anterior tibiae and tarsi, and posterior and inter- 

 mediate tarsi, pale reddish yellow. Head longitudinally 

 striated. Carinse between the antenna? not continued so far 

 as the anterior ocellus ; posterior margin of the head emar- 

 ginate. Thorax and first node of the peduncle transversely 

 rugose. Abdomen covered with a cinereous pubescence. 



I know nothing of its habits, except that it stings severely. 



Genus Cryptocephalus. 



34. Cryptocephalus pubc'sceits, Sm. — In dry sandy places 

 near the sea this insect is very common. These curious 

 little ants live underground, throw up no hill, but make a 

 conical hole in the sand : they carry every fragment they 

 remove to a distance from the nest, and roll themselves up, 

 like many beetles, and lie motionless for a long time, when 

 alarmed or touched. B. T. Lowne. 



Enlomological Notes and Captures. 



286. Do Male or Female Lepidoptera jirst emerge from 

 the Pupa ? — Mr. Greene's interesting note (Entom. 325) on 

 the prior appearance of the male or female of various species 

 of Lepido})tcra shows how needful it is to apply the test of 

 experiment (where possible) to all our opinions, and how apt 

 we are to accept as truth what is only tradition or assump- 

 tion. Until Mr. Greene surjirised me by throwing doubt on 

 the commonly received opinion that the males usually 



