516 Mr. R. Shelford's Studies of the Blattidm. 



of the sub-family Corydiicse ( = Heterogamiinse). Bolivar 

 (1. c.) is much impressed by the structure of the antennae 

 in Attaphila, the increasing lengths of the joints in pro- 

 portion to their breadth particularly attracting his atten- 

 tion, and he states that in all other Blattid* the joints of 

 the antennae, with the exception of the first, are short and 

 transverse. This as a matter of fact is scarcely accurate ; 

 in cockroaches of normal type the first joint of the antennae 

 is longer than broad, the second usually broader than long, 

 and the third much longer than broad ; the succeeding 

 joints are short and transverse but gradually increasing 

 in length until they are longer than broad, and the apical 

 joints are usually sub-moniliform. Attaphila is peculiar in 

 that the third joint of the antennae is short and transverse 

 and the increase in length of the succeeding joints is not 

 gradual but sudden. Unfortunately in all the specimens 

 of Atta'phila that have been examined, the antennae are 

 mutilated, so we know nothing of the terminal ends of 

 these organs. Wheeler examined forty-five examples of 

 A. fungicola, and found that in seventeen specimens the 

 mutilation of the antennae was symmetrical, in twenty-one 

 specimens almost symmetrical, the difference being not 

 more than one joint ; in only seven specimens were the 

 antennae very asymetrically mutilated. He concludes that 

 the ants, with which this cockroach lives, crop the antennas 

 of their guests and suggests that the peculiar structure of 

 the antennae is a result of continual clipping. Without 

 subscribing to this opinion, it may be pointed out that 

 a modification of the antennae of an insect living in the 

 dark and under very peculiar circumstances is rather to be 

 expected ; indeed, it might be expected that profound 

 modifications of the antennae would invariably accompany 

 a marked reduction of the other sense-organs, the eyes, if 

 Sphecophila was not a standing proof to the contrary. 

 Attaphila, as shown by an examination of the contents of 

 the alimentary canal, feeds on the fungus cultivated by the 

 leaf-cutting ants ; Sphccop)hila is nourished otherwise. The 

 wasps of the genus Polyhia construct small paper nests 

 pendant from the under surface of leaves or twigs ; in 

 some species the nest is made up of a number of cells 

 without any outer common covering ; every cell containing 

 a larva is open at the lower end, and it is only the cells 

 containing nymphs that are closed, each with a paper cap. 

 Polyhia pygmiea however constructs a nest composed of a 



