Some Solitary Wasps of Texas. 35 



of the bug and was directed forward so that it extended for a dis- 

 tance along the proboscis (Fig. 14.) 



The bugs taken from the nest were all of the family of Lygaeidae. 

 Of the seven, three kicked violently when touched and the remain- 

 der showed some signs of life. After a day and a half three bugs 

 were still alive, while the other four had just died. The former 

 lived at least half a day longer. On Aug. 28th three large fly-mag- 

 gots (Muscids) were crawling around the sand in the bottle as if 

 trying to get out. The egg had disappeared. 



My third specimen (No. 46) came swooping down from the tree 

 tops with her heavy burden. I have never seen the species out on 

 the hunt, probably because she hunts altogether among the trees, 

 the home of her prey. Each time Xo. 46 came home with a bug 

 she descended out of the tree that overshadowed the nest. She car- 

 ried in five bugs in two and a half hourS;, completing her labors at 

 7 :00 p. m., when she closed the nest. The nest was probably dug 

 and provisioned on the same day (Aug. 27th), as was that of Xo. 

 39, judging from the late hour at which the bugs were caught. I 

 failed to trace the tunnel this time but came upon the chamber con- 

 taining the bugs, which were all broad, gray ones of the genus 

 CrytomenuSj excepting one, a slender purplish bug belonging to the 

 Lygaeidae. This latter was the first brought in and contained the 

 Qgg which was attached in the identical manner as that of No. 39. 

 If the egg was laid just after tliis first bug was carried in the length 

 of the Qgg stage of this species is forty-one hours. The larva died 

 after three days. Three bugs lieved two days; the other two were 

 brought in dead. These bugs and the wasp's egg are shown in Fig. 

 14. 



The fourth and last specimen on which I have notes finished dig- 

 ging her nest by 10:12, Aug. 31. As was the case with No. 1, she 

 made a series of locality studies in preparation for her first depart- 

 ure by walking around on the sand in the neighborhood of her nest. 

 At 10 :12 she closed up the entrance carefully and flew away. At 1 :00 

 o'clock I returned to the nest, which was closed. At 1 :27 the wasp 

 returned, coming down out of the neighboring trees. She did not 

 descend in a sudden continuous swoop^ but in gentle jerks as if she 

 were descending a flight of stairs and had to pause at each step to ad- 

 just her load. This jerky motion goes on until she hovers over a 

 bush two feet high standing between the wasp and the nest. Then 

 she takes a sudden dive through an opening between the branches of 



