some British Guimui Hymenojytera. 307 



7ie,stiiiu'-])laees for this species. It ap])ears to prefer 

 domestic habitations for its iiestinff-places. The short 

 wooden bridges which span the navigation trenches on 

 sugar estates are always thickly infested beneath with the 

 nests of these insects, and passing beneath such bridges 

 in a small boat is always an exciting and quite occasionally 

 a painful experience. In dwelling-houses they are always 

 a source of danger, especially when children are about. 

 The local nanu^ is " marabunta." Destroying marabunta 

 nests with a wad of di'ied palm leaves attached to a long 

 pole soaked in kerosene and ignited is an interesting 

 operation for an onlooker at a respectful distance. At 

 times these wasps will renuiin quite motionless in an alert 

 position on their nests for hours together, as though on 

 guard. From the economic standj)oint they are exceed- 

 ingly useful, for they may often be seen hunting for and 

 consuming the larvae of various agricultural pests, espe- 

 cially the Rice Worm {Laph/ffjina frKgiperda, S. & A.). 

 The nests are irreguhtr in sti'uctui'e and not stronglv made, 

 for pieces are fre(|uently falling from the nest. The (light 

 of this insect is somewhat clumsy. 



P. crinihffi, Keltoii. An imcoimnon s])ecies on the coast 

 lands. 



(lemis roLYiiiA, Lc]). 



P. fiilr(>fi/s(:i(i/ii, de CI. (= phthimn, V.). A connnon 

 species on the coast lands; the nests are fre(|uently found 

 attached to the under surfaces of leaves, esjjecially those 

 of the mango tive. Large nests are seldom encountered. 



P. ocridenialis, Oliv. An exceedingly connnon species 

 thi'ongliout the coast lands, and at times encountered in 

 the interior. The nests are found attached to the under 

 surfaces of many species of palms. The nests are never 

 large, more or less circular in shape, and constructed of 

 exceedingly light and fragile material. This snuxll wasp 

 is not unduly ])ugnacious, and seldom attacks unless the 

 nest is damaged; it is thus frequently encountered when 

 felling the branches of young coconut palms. The sting 

 has no great lasting effects, but the first shock is exceed- 

 ingly ])ainful. On one occasion a gardener who was 

 trinuning a hedge of J^arbados Cherry {McdpJiigia (/lahra) 

 brought into the laboratory a good-sized nest of this 

 species which he had very carefully removed with sonu; 

 of the wasps in silu on the outside of the nest. The local 



