Mason- Wasps. 33 



this genus burrow into the pith of the bramble and other 

 shrubs. 



One of the most determined of our British burrowers is 

 the insect which is known by the name of Ammophila sabulosa. 

 It has a large, squared head, wider than the thorax, a very 

 long and slender body, and short though powerful wings. 

 The colour is black, with a slight rust-red tint on the base 

 of the abdomen. 



When the female has dug her burrow, she sets off in search 

 of a caterpillar of proportionate size, and having conveyed it 

 into her dwelling, she affixes an egg to the imprisoned larva, 

 and goes off in search of another, carefully stopping up the 

 entrance with stones. In fine weather she will fill one 

 burrow with caterpillars in a few hours, and then begin 

 another nursery for the future young. This species appears 

 always to make use of caterpillars, but another allied 

 species prefers spiders. Mr. F. Smith mentions that he has 

 found in a high sand-bank as many as twenty females 

 apparently hibernating together till suitable weather enabled 

 them to pursue their usual economy. 



There really seems to be scarcely any genus of insect that is 

 not seized upon by one or other of these burrowers, and packed 

 away in a half living state to form food for their young. 

 There is one of these solitary burrowing wasps called the Astata 

 boops, deriving its specific name from its large round eyes, 

 which in the male completely unite at the back of the head. 

 The abdomen is shaped something like a boy's peg-top, or a 

 symmetrical turnip, the peg of the top, or the point of the 

 turnip, corresponding to the top of the abdomen. Its length 

 is about half an inch, and its colour is black, with a rust-red 

 patch on the end of the abdomen. 



There is a remarkably pretty, and very variable, sand-wasp, 

 which is plentiful in most parts of the country. The colour 

 is black, and the abdomen is banded by four yellow bars. 

 Its feet are also yellow. Mr. Smith has written a very 

 interesting account of the proceedings of this insect. 



" Having frequently observed the habits of the type of this 

 genus, Mellinus arvcnsis, and reared it from the larva state, 



D 



