224 



nf Batumi Hi 



British Museum, and described by Mr. Gray, ' 

 is the Ch, I'urrii. Another insect belonging ; 

 to this group is ttwPropomacnaA rbaccs, from | 

 Smyrna, described by Pallas, and figured by ! 

 Mr. Newman in the Entomological Maga- 

 zine. Little, if any thing, is known of the 

 habits of this remarkable group of Lamelli- 

 corn beetles. 



EUDYNAMIS. A genus of Cuckoos, 

 found in Asia and the Eastern islands. The 

 best known species is the Eudyiiamis orien- 

 tal is. [See CUCKOO.] 



EUMENIDJS. A family of Hymenop- 

 terous insects, of predaceous habits. Reau- 

 mur lias given the history of a species of this 

 family (Udijncrit.i). "This insect, says Mr. 

 Westwood, in his useful compilation, the 

 ' Introduction to the Modern Classification 

 of Insects,' "during the early months of 

 summer, forms a burrow in the sand to the 

 depth of several inches, in which it constructs 

 its cells ; besides which it builds, with the 

 grains of sand brought up whilst burrowing, 

 a tubular entrance to the burrow, often more 

 than an inch long, and more or less curved, 

 the grains of sand of which it is formed 

 being agglutinated together ; each female 

 forms several of these burrows, and deposits 

 an egg in each cell, together with a number 

 of green caterpillars, which it arranges in a 

 spiral direction, one being applied against 

 the other, and which serve as food for the ! 

 larva when hatched. When the store of j 

 food is secured, the insect closes the mouth , 

 of the burrow, employing the grains of sand 

 of which the funnel was composed for that | 

 purpose. The larvse of Odynerus are fleshy 

 grubs, destitute of feet, with transverse dor- 

 sal tubercles serving in their stead. * * * 

 Geoffroy has described a species of Eumenes 

 which differs somewhat in its habits from 

 the rest of this family. This species cyn- 

 structs, upon the stems of plants, especially 

 heath, small spherical nests, formed of fine 

 earth : at first a hole is left at the top, I 

 through which the parent fills the cell with 

 honey, and deposits a single egg therein ; I 

 the hole is then closed up, and the larva, ' 

 when hatched, feeds on the honey, undergoes I 

 its metamorphosis, and makes its escape | 

 through a hole which it forms at the side j 

 of the cell, which contains but a single j 

 insect." 



EUPIIEMA. A genus of the Psittacidce \ 

 I or parrot tribe ; several species of which are j 

 found in Australia. The bill is almost al- j 

 ways very much concealed by the long fea- \ 

 thers about the face. In Mr. Gould's na* | 

 tional work, " The Birds of Australia)" 

 several species are described and elegantly 

 figured : of these we may specify 



ary and March ; running over the ground, 

 and treading its way among the grasses, to 

 feed on the seeds. Its flight is very quick. 

 It can easily be domesticated, and a more 

 elegant or beautiful pet can scarcely be con- 

 ceived. 



EUPIIEMA ELKGAXS, or ELEGANT GRASS 

 PAKAKEKT. This species inhabits South 

 Australia, and is the " Ground Parakeet " j 

 of the colonists. It feeds on grass seeds ( 



EUFIIEMA AUKANTIA, pr ORANGE-BELLIED 



GKASS PARAKEET. This species is not very 

 abundant in Van Diemen's Land, but in Ac- 

 tion Islands, in D'Entrecasteau Channel, it 

 is the only bird enlivening the solitary place. 



EUPHEMA CHRTSOSTOMA, or BLUE-BANDED 

 PARAKEET. This beautiful bird is a sum- 

 mer resident of Van Diemen's Land, arriving 

 there in September, and leaving in Febru- 



congregating in the hot seasons (where there 

 is water in small pools) in almost incre- i 

 dible numbers. Its flight is rapid and even, i 

 and frequently at great altitudes. For our j 

 figure of this elegant bird we are indebted 

 to the work of Mr. Gould. 



EI-PIIEMA SPLENDIDA, or SPLENDID GRASS 

 PAUAKKET, inhabits the neighbourhood of 

 the Swan River, in Australia. [See ME- 



LOFSITTACUS.] 



EUPIIONIA. A genus of birds allied to 

 the TANAGEKS, of which there are many 

 species. We restrict ourselves in this article ] 

 to the EUPIIONIA JAMAICA. This is a small 

 Passerine bird, known in the West Indies as 

 the " Blue Quit," and sometimes also called 

 the Blue Sparrow. It is about four inches and 

 a half long, and rather of an inelegant shape 

 1'rom the abrupt shortness of its tail. The 

 upper parts of the male are of a glossy blue, 

 sometimes tinged with green ; throat, breast, 

 and sides pale gray ; belly yellow ; beak gray, 

 the ridge and tip black. It is common 

 about homesteads, frequenting fruit-trees, 

 busily hopping about the twigs and fruits 

 and picking in any position. It is by no 

 means destitute of musical powers, some- 

 times delighting in a soft warbling repetition 

 of a single note, and at others treating its 

 hearers with a real song, sweet and musical. 

 Mr. Hill, a gentleman of Jamaica, whose 

 ornithological notes contribute to the en- 

 tertaining character of Mr. Gosse's work, 

 gives the following description of this little 

 active warbler. " Near the piazza of my 

 house a cotton-bush has flung out its knots 

 of white filaments. Hither come the birds 

 at this season (February) to gather materials 

 for constructing their nests. The Blue 

 Sparrow, a pretty little frugivorous bird that 

 sings in our fruit trees, all the year round, 

 iu merry twittering song, has "been busily 



