NOTES ON HYMENOPTERA. 29 



FossoRES— continued. 

 Crabro vagus. 

 „ obliquiis. 

 ,, varius. 

 Cemonus unicolor. 



Vespid^. 

 Odynerus parietura. 



,, pictus. 

 Vespa vulgaris. 

 ,, rufa. 

 ,, sylvestris. 

 ,, germanica. 



The only species of rarity in this list is Agenia hifasciata; 

 this was taken at the wood-side close to Chambercombe 

 Farm. It is many years ^ince I took a specimen in Colney 

 Hatch Wood ; it certainly is a very rare insect. 



The best locality for collecting the fossorial species that I 

 discovered, is Woolacotnbe Sands, in Morte Bay, just beyond 

 Mortehoej this spot is only a mile and a half distant from 

 Braunton Burrows. At this locality 1 only spent a few 

 hours, but found Tiphia femorata in profusion on the flowers 

 of the samphire (Crithmum maritiinum)^ and also running 

 on the sands ; and I may notice that the specimens were of a 

 larger size than any that I ever found in Kent or Surrey, where 

 in some localities it is plentiful. I once received several from 

 S, Devon, and they were the same large form of the species. 

 Perhaps the most surprising sight was the innumerable host 

 of Pompilus plumheus that swarmed on the sands, and were 

 so difiBcuIt to catch. Vesjiidce were very plentiful on the 

 coast, particularly the V. sylvestris; this was common at 

 Lynmouth; up the valley at Water's Meet; at Ilfracombe; 

 and also at Clovelly ; it is also the most common species at 

 Lundy Island. 



Several remarkable records are to be found of various 

 social Hymenoptera constructing their nests in curious situa- 

 tions; I have myself mentioned the fact of a species of 

 humble bee taking possession of the nest of a robin, and the 

 late Mr. Walcott told me of an instance in which Bomhus 



