AN ISLAND SETTLEMENT 



berg (written in Danish) which has already been referred 

 to. This paper deals with Bcmbex rostrata. It was trans- 

 lated for Mr. Ashmead by Mr. Martin Lincll. 



It seems that rostrata makes its nest in solid sand, 

 covering it up with loose sand, and usually, also, with a 

 little flat stone, to prevent parasites from entering. The 

 cell measures one cubic inch, the entrance tunnel being 

 one and one half centimeters long, and arcuate. A cell 

 contains four or five fresh flics (Lucilia, Eristalis, etc.), 

 and torn-off wings, sucked-out thoraces, and in the mid- 

 dle of these, a big flat larva. 



When the larva is hatched the mother brings more 

 and more flies, the flies being larger and larger as it 

 grows. This adjustment of the size of the fly to the 

 growth of the larva has also been noted by Fabre. 



Wesenberg says that fifty Bembecids will nest on a 

 spot as big as a room during a period of three months. 

 The time required for the development of the larva is 

 two weeks, this giving five or six young ones for the 

 season. He queries, " Does each female have more than 

 one nest? and if so, how can she remember them?" 

 To determine this point we marked six wasps by touch- 

 ing them with differently colored paints, putting near 

 their nests pebbles painted to correspond with the 

 owners, and then watched them closely for three hours. 



139 



