4 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



know of any case where a parasite has been found on any 

 spider belonging to any of the three classes of cryptic re- 

 semblance. The cocoons of spiders are often parasitized, and 

 I know of two cases where parasites have been found in 

 cocoons which might be called protected. These two exam- 

 ples are the egg-sac of a Coelotes, and the cocoon of Tra- 

 chelas tranqiiilla. On the other hand, I have examined 

 many protectively colored cocoons without finding parasites. 

 However, there are so few facts on this subject of parasitism 

 that any opinion is of little value. 



As regards the Pompilidse, I have but few facts, occasional 

 observations. Suffice to say that there is no record of their 

 capturing any protectively colored spider. 



With the mud-daubers there is an easy way to determine 

 what they capture; simply to examine their nests. To know, 

 however, what escaped the mud-daubers, one must be famil- 

 iar with the spider fauna of the region at that time of the 

 year. I have made an examination of mud-dauber nests in 

 two localities where I am familiar with the spider fauna. 

 First, let us consider that in any region there are many 

 spiders that are not available as food for the mud-daubers. 

 Certain warningly-colored spiders, such as the Acrosomas 

 and allies, are not suitable, owing to their spines ; they could 

 not be easily packed into a mud-dauber nest. Especially long 

 and long-legged spiders are hardly fit to pack in a cylindrical 

 nest ; so that the rarity of Tetragnathas in mud-dauber nests 

 is not proof that the wasp does not see them, for it may 

 be that the wasp docs not care to block up her nest with such 

 unsuitably shaped si)idcrs. Likewise the mud-daubers can 

 not use daddy-long-legs, unless by removing the legs. One 

 must, therefore, in considering the available food of the mud- 

 daubers, throw out a large number of species which the mud- 

 dauber would not take, no matter how evident they were to 

 her. 



In tabulating the contents of these nests I have in many 

 cases given the sex of the spider ; this, in some cases, is quite 

 useful. 



