( xviii ) 



then pushed it toward the waiting larva, at the same time keep- 

 ing the thi-ead ' tatit.' On reaching to within five-eighths of an 

 inch of the larva it struck out, and I held on to the thread. The 

 larva would not let go, and I was able to see that in springing 

 out the larva had sprung up and backward (just the move- 

 ment of a gymnast turning a back somersault), throwing all 

 its legs out clear of the burrow, tlie abdomen forming a semi- 

 circular arch between the hole and the seized fly. I gently 

 pulled my thread, so did the larva, when I was enabled to 

 see that in throwing itself out of the burrow it had made 

 a centre of the two vertical spines, which, as the head turned 

 over, were levered out of the sand ; while the points of the 

 other longer pair in front of the dorsal hump were brought 

 into contact with the sides of the burrow, into which they 

 were deeply driven and firmly ' anchored ' the larva, whilst 

 it seized its prey. I tried this experiment a number of 

 times, fully confirming my observations. 



" On the approach of cold weather in October the larvae 

 begin to deepen their burrows, ramming the excavated sand 

 above them, so closing all entrance and exit. Without food of 

 any kind the first winter was spent undergi'ound. During 

 March the larva commences to re-excavate the sand above, a 

 laborious task of biting it down until, in April and May, the 

 surface was reached, and another year or six months spent 

 in feeding. For the second time in September or October the 

 larva retired to the bottom of its burrow, after filling in with 

 sand above it. 



" On the approach of warm weather it once more re-ascended 

 to the surface, and for a few months feasted upon earwigs, 

 etc. Several times I found remains of lepidopterous larva. 

 Once also I observed a White butterfly caught, and on 

 another occasion a fully-developed Puss moth. 



" In August of the third year the larva excavates an oviil 

 chamber at the bottom of the burrow, sometimes in a slanting 

 position, but more frequently horizontal — an inch and a half 

 long by three-quarters diameter. The buirow is rammed full 

 of sand to within an inch of the chamber; the larva then 

 rests upon its back, but only the thorax dorsal hump touches 

 the sand, the anal segments being turned up. In a week it 



