of various Britisli Insects. 205 



was given by Linnreus, who says of his Sphex figulus, upon the au- 

 thority of Bergman, " Habitat Upsalise in parietum ligneorum fora- 

 minibus ab aliorum insectorum larvis factis relictisque quae primo 

 purgat circumroditque, deinde fundum argilla obducit, cui araneam 

 imponit, eique ovulum concredit quo facto nidum argilla claudit. 

 Larva apoda pallida larvisque apum similis, consumta aranea, mem- 

 branam luteo fuscam et tener?e pupae aptissimam net. Una mater 

 perplurimos nidos construit et plerumque non ultra biduum in quovis 

 adornando consumit : alse abdomine breviores, abdomen petiolatum 

 atrum, marginibus segraentorum lucidis, si quis eos a capite oblique 

 intereatur*." 



M. de Saint Fargeau however, finding that the legs of the female 

 are not provided with cilise, and consequently, according to his theory, 

 unfitted for the formation of a nest or the obtaining of a supply of 

 food, has considered the statement of Linnaeus, which has been 

 adopted by subsequent authors, as erroneous, and as rather appli- 

 cable to certain species of PompiJi, especially Pompilus petiolatus, 

 Vander Linden, which indeed the French authors regard as agreeing 

 with the figuhis of Linnaeus both in characters and habitsf. 



Mr. Shuckard also, in the First Part of the Transactions of this 

 Society |, has considered Trypoxylon to be parasitic ; " as it is a 

 very common insect constant opportunities occur for detecting it 

 with its prey were it predatory." When the preceding observations 

 were read by me before the Society I adopted the opinion of Saint 

 Fargeau, having repeatedly watched the Trypoxylon, and observed it 

 entering successively into the burrows of other insects upon a sand- 

 bank, in the same manner as other parasitic species, having also csij^- 

 twied Pompilus petiolatus, with its prey, consisting of a large spider §, 

 and no instance being yet recorded of a fossorial species not con- 

 structing its own burrow, but making use of the habitation of other 

 insects. 



Since these observations were read, Mr. Shuckard has informed 

 me that he has captured Trypoxylon carrying its prey, consisting of 

 a spider ; and within the last few days I have been yet more fortunate 

 in watching the ceconomy of this insect, and thereby ascertaining 

 the complete correctness of the Linnaean account. On the 9tli July, 

 1836, I discovered a large female Tr. figulus sitting on a leaf hold- 

 ing a spider with her jaws and fore legs, and with which she flew 

 off. I watched her flight, and she appeared to enter the ojjen 

 hall-door of my residence, but the laurels which grow near it pre- 



* Syst. Nat. ii. 943. t Eucycl. Method, vol. x. p. 750. + p. 56. 



§ I have pulilibhed an account of the habits of this insect in the ' Annales dc la 

 Societe Entomologique de France,' for the present year. 



