Mr. C. H. Goodman on the Sdnd-wasp. 329 



beef-steak. Their odoxir is alike powerful and persistent. They 

 feed upon the sap-wood of the willow, poplar, ash, and elm, and 

 are three or four years in developing to the perfect insect. 

 Towards the winter of each year they spin themselves up into a 

 soft cocoon, and remain in a torpid state until the warm weather 

 returns, and the sap begins to flow. Apropos of sap, there was 

 some exuding from their burrows in the poplar tree when I saw 

 it, which seemed to be very attractive to several red admiral 

 butterflies. The caterpillar does not change into a chrysalis 

 until a short time before it is hatched, which takes place in July 

 and August. The chrysalis is furnished with a series of toothed 

 projections on the edges of each of the segments, which enable 

 it to work its way along the burrows, and, when the time arrives 

 for it to change into the perfect insect, it pushes itself for about 

 half its length through the bark, so that the moth emerges in 

 the open air. 



For collections it is necessary to kill the moth, which is of a 

 brown and grey colour, as soon as the wings are fully developed, 

 as, being a heavy moth and a strong flyer, it is soon damaged. 

 The female moth is remarkable for possessing a well developed 

 ovipositor, which enables the insect to deposit its eggs in the 

 clefts and crevices of the bark. 



One other English moth, the wood leopard, the larvfeof which 

 bore into wood, is also furnished with a similar ovipositor. The 

 caterpillars are very destructive to the trees upon which they 

 feed. I have known of several large trees infested by them 

 having to be cut down, and an avenue of poplars, leading to the 

 house of a friend of mine, was entirely destroyed by their 

 ravages. 



96. — The Sand-wasp. 

 By Charles H. Goodman. 

 (Bead September 9th, 1891.) 



While staying in the South of Devon, at the end of September, 

 I had the opportunity of watching the habits of the sand-wasp 

 {AmwophUa sabulosa). Their burrows are not uncommon in a 

 soft sandy bank in the cliff facing the sea at Budleigh Salterton, 

 and when the sun is shining they may be seen rapidly running 

 about enjoying the warmth. 



On one occasion I saw a fine specimen alight near its tunnel 

 with a large legless grub about an inch long. Leaving its prey 

 outside it quickly entered its nest, and returned, but not before 

 the crrub had rolled about eighteen inches to the foot of the bank. 



