The Buprestis-hunting Cerceris 7 



with its wing-cases, stuck in a hole in an old 

 oak. This fact was illuminating. By inform- 

 ing me that the larva of Buprestis fasciata 

 must live in the wood of the oak, it completely 

 explained why this Beetle is so common in a 

 district which has none but oak-forests. As 

 Cerceris hupresticida is rare in the clay hills of 

 such districts, as compared with the sandy 

 plains thickly planted with the maritime pine, 

 it became an interesting question to know 

 whether this Wasp, when she inhabits the pine 

 country, victuals her nest in the same way as 

 in the oak country. I had a strong presump- 

 tion that this was not the case ; and you will 

 soon see, not without surprise, what exquisite 

 entomological discrimination our Cerceris dis- 

 plays in her choice of the numerous species of 

 the genus Buprestis. 



* We will therefore hasten to the pine region 

 to reap new delights. The field to be explored 

 is the garden of a country-house standing amid 

 forests of maritime pines. One soon recognized 

 the dwellings of the Cerceris ; they had been 

 made solely in the main paths, where the firm, 

 compact soil offered the Burrowing Hymenop- 

 teron a solid foundation for the construction of 

 her subterranean abode. I inspected some 

 twenty, I may say, by the sweat of my brow. 

 It is a very laborious sort of undertaking, for 



