204 INSECTS. 



made ; here it deposits its eggs, and with them a store 

 of insects to serve as food for the Iarva3. Most species 

 confine themselves to one kind of insect, hut there are 

 others that collect various kinds. Caterpillars, Spiders, 

 Gnats, and other flies, Aphides, Beetles, Ants, and Bees, 

 are all victims to one or another species. In some cases 

 the prey is half killed, or reduced to torpidity, by heing 

 stung ; in others it is stored quite alive, in others dead 

 insects are laid up. Some observers have stated that 

 there are species which are not content with laying up 

 beforehand a store of food for their young, but continue 

 to feed them at intervals. This Mr. Westwood doubts 

 in the case of any solitary insect, though so well-known 

 a habit with those which are social. 



The land and wood wasps are divided into eight 

 families: 1. Scoliida3; 2. Sapygidse ; 3. Pompilid ; 

 4. Sphegida? ; 5. Larridae ; 6. Nyssonidse ; 7. Crabronidse ; 

 8. Philanthids. 



The first family, Scoliidse, contains but two English 

 species, of one genus, Tiphia. This genus may be known 

 by the legs, which, in comparison with other Sand- 

 wasps, are short and very thick, with wide, flat femora, 

 and thickly-spined tibiae. The wings have two sub- 

 marginal cells. The antennas are thick, and shorter than 

 the thorax. Tiphia femorata is not rare. The female 

 is entirely black, excepting parts of the legs, which are 

 red. It is shiny, and scantily clothed with grey hairs; 

 its length about ^ inch, or under. The male is con- 

 siderably smaller, and bears a spine, curving upwards on 

 the tip of the abdomen. This insect is very common 

 on the cliffs at Lowestoft in Suffolk. 



The second family, Sapygiclae, also contains but one 

 English genus and two species. This, Sapyga, may be 



