152 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



cies, and conveys it to the bottom of the tunnel, where a small 

 chamber is excavated. 



She always enters the burrow backward, grasping her prey in 

 her jaws and dragging it after her. It is so large that she can 

 scarcely force it along the tunnel, and were it not for the compar- 

 atively wide chamber, she would not be able to make her way 

 out again. When she has fairly lodged it in the chamber, she 

 creeps round it, deposits an egg upon it, and crawls out again, 

 taking care to stop up the entrance with some small pebbles. 

 She then flies away in search of a fresh victim, and after some 

 four or five caterpillars have been placed in the nest, she closes 

 the entrance carefully, flies off and dies, the great duty of her life 

 being then at an end. 



There is an allied insect residing in India, which measures 

 about three quarters of an inch in length, and is of a fine polished 

 green color. Scientifically, it is known as Sphex scutigera. The 

 habits of this insect have been carefully watched by Sir J. Hear- 

 sey, K.C.B., who gave me much information respecting the meth- 

 od by which it prepares a habitation for its young. This species 

 preys upon large spiders and cockroaches, and sometimes displays 

 a wonderful amount of ingenuity in achieving its object. 



One of these insects had captured a spider, which was too heavy 

 to be carried through the air. The Sphex then dragged it to a 

 little bank, dropped it into the water, and perched upon it, sitting- 

 there until it had been carried some distance down the water. 

 Finding that the spider was sinking, the Sphex left it, and sat on 

 a straw, which was floating down the stream, still, however, keep- 

 ing company with its prey. After a while, the spider struck 

 against the shore, and the Sphex then grasped it afresh, and tried 

 to drag it along. The steep bank, however, baffled all its endeav- 

 ors, and at last the industrious creature was obliged to leave the 

 spider on the ground, and to go off in search of another. 



The dark and sombre little bee called Mellinus arvensis is an 

 excellent example of the burrowers. This insect preys on vari- 

 ous flies, and packs away a large number of its victims in the bur- 

 row. The flies which it chooses are all swift of wing, whereas the 

 Mellinus is rather a slow flyer, so that it can not take its prey by 

 open assault, but is obliged to trust to craft. In order, therefore, 

 to obtain its victims, the Mellinus watches some spot where flies 

 most love to congregate, and walks to and fro as if it were quite 

 unconcerned. It continues to run about in this manner until it 



