The Buprestis-huntrng Cerceris 5 



The identity of the season and place made me 

 hope to make a similar capture myself ; but 

 the weather that day was overcast and chilly ; 

 and therefore but few Wasps had ventured out. 

 Nevertheless, we made a tour of inspection in 

 the garden ; and, seeing nothing coming, I 

 thought of looking on the ground for the homes 

 of Burrowing Hymenoptera. 



' My attention was attracted by a small heap 

 of sand freshly thrown up and forming a sort of 

 tiny mole-hill. On raking it, I saw that it 

 masked the opening of a shaft running some 

 way down. With a spade we carefully turned 

 over the soil and soon saw the glittering wing- 

 cases of the coveted Buprestis lying scattered 

 around. Presently I discovered not only iso- 

 lated and fragmentary wing-cases, but a whole 

 Buprestis, then three or four of them, displaying 

 their emerald and gold. I could not believe 

 my eyes. 



' But this was only a prelude to the feast. 

 In the chaos of rubbish produced by the ex- 

 humation, a W^asp appeared and fell into my 

 hands : it was the kidnapper of the Buprestes, 

 trying to escape from among her victims. In 

 this burrowing insect I recognized an old 

 acquaintance, a Cerceris whom I have found 

 hundreds of times, both in Spain and round 

 about Saint-Sever. 



