194 Dr. D. Sharp on some 



of the cones that have fallen out from the capsules, and 

 have adhered to the sticky substance with which the 

 whole of the outer surface of the egg-mass is smeared ; 

 the lower part of the mass being very thickly plastered 

 with such substance. 



The fact that the two outer series of eggs are intact as 

 to their capsules is explained by the presence of the 

 destroying Hymenoptera, the mothers of these having 

 been able to place their eggs only in the two series of 

 the hemipterous eggs next the outside, the others being 

 protected by their more internal position in the closely- 

 packed mass ; the tops of the eggs are, of course, pro- 

 tected by the capsules and the cones contained therein, 

 and the lower faces of the eggs by the leaf on which the 

 mass is placed, so that only the outer two layers of the 

 bugs' eggs have been within reach of the ovipositor of 

 the female Hymenoptera. 



We have seen that there are two species of these 

 hymenoj^terous destroyers ; perhaps one may have a 

 longer ovipositor than the other, and so be able to reach 

 the second row of eggs ; or it may be that the two rows 

 of eggs are pierced indiscriminately by each of the two 

 destroying species. 



We have thus accounted for the presence of the bugs 

 and of the Hymenoptera in this curious entomological 

 specimen, but we have not alluded to the large wasp 

 depicted in fig. 1 , and we cannot but feel some curiosity 

 to know what part this has played in the drama. Of 

 course this should be settled by actual observation. The 

 presence of the wasp may be purely fortuitous ; it may 

 have become accidentally entangled in the sticky mass, 

 and have been unable to disentangle itself. But this 

 method of accounting for its presence does not appear at 

 all probable, for, as will be observed on reference to 

 fig. 1, the wasp is reposing on one side, and is attached 

 by the tip of one wing to the lower part of the mass on 

 which the adhesive matter I have alluded to is so abun- 

 dantly placed ; and, as its position does not look like 

 one into which it could have got by means of accidental 

 entanglement, I incline rather to the supposition that 

 the wasp was stuck in its position by the parent bug as 

 a meal for its future offspring when they should be 

 hatched. This supposition is supported not only by the 

 position of the wasp, but also by some other facts, viz. : 



