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very active, and may be found during the day ; 

 the females more especially, in the pursuit of 

 larvae, in which they deposit their eggs. The 

 Chrysis, or ruby-tail, is found in sandy places, 

 or engaged in perforating pales, posts, and 

 other wood-work, frequently in company with 

 bees, who also nidificate in these places. Bees 

 will likewise be found seeking their food from 

 flowers in every situation. Wasps, like bees, 

 live in society, forming their nests in the inte- 

 rior of decayed trees, but many attach them 

 externally to the branches ; these vary in size 

 and shape according to the species, and the 

 number of its inhabitants. Ants are extremely 

 numerous in all tropical countries, and appear 

 to be the chief agents of Nature in removing and 

 destroying decayed animal substances, which 

 would otherwise putrefy and infect the air ; the 

 species are, no doubt, numerous, and deserve 

 particular attention : we know that very minute 

 species exist in Africa ; they are, however, but 

 seldom collected. The gall-flies are not often 

 to be met with in Collections, although the galls 

 are an object of commerce : the flies are mi- 

 nute, which in some measure accounts for this 

 deficiency ; and here we would wish to impress 

 upon the minds of those who collect in foreign 



