MONOGRAPH OF THE NORTH AMERICAN PROCTOTRYPID^. 29 



])lcte traps lor various insectH, to which Myrmiea rubra and other predafcoiis species 

 resort, and among these our liethyli will be seen prowling. On th<» 5th of last June I 

 ol)tierved a female of th(! largest size occupied with oni; of those larvio which was full 

 fed, and I should think about six times its own weight. It had seized this by the 

 mouth, and was with great perseverance eiuleavoring to transport it up the sides of 

 tlie pit. Perceiving that, though apparently not discouraged after ten minutes' inef- 

 fectual exertion, it had no chance of succeeding, and wishing to trace its proceedings, I 

 l>hiced a fragment of straw in the hollow within its reach. Tlio moment it had touched 

 this railway the state of atTairs was changed ; taking a firm hold with its hind feet, it 

 swung its prey round and set otf wjth it at .a si lart pace, walking backwards and 

 dragging the body after it. From this time it was constantly endeavoring to ascend 

 the face of tlie sand clitf, availing itself with admirable! ailroitness of morsels of 

 grass, twigs, etc., embedded in it, not seeming to care how obli(![uely they lay, if 

 they enabled it to gain a little elevation; so that its track was a zigzag. Fre- 

 quently it chose stems, which, rising nearly erect, receded from the bank above. I 

 first thought it was losing its labor, but it was at no loss how to act. After ascend- 

 ing a few inches with the wliole weight stispen<led in the air from its mandibles, it 

 would poise itself and its Imrden across the stem with its head towards the bank, 

 tlien throw itself otf, at tins same time extending its wings, which, though incapa- 

 ble of raising it from the ground, were able to gi\ r it some impulse toward the 

 bank, on wliich it thus alighted at a spot someway above the springing of the stem. 

 If, on ascending one of these twigs, it discovered th:it it was bent the wrong way 

 or receded too far from the cliff, it lost no time in hesitation, but, stopping short, of a 

 sudden couunenced the descent again. It may be guessed that, dragging a gross 

 slimy body over twigs, etc., close to or half buried 'u the sand, frequent impedi- 

 ments would occur, which its extreme a(!tivity in walking iudiflFerently sideways 

 or backwards, and main exertion of muscular fortre, generally enabled it to over- 

 come; but sometimes it had dr.iwn its burden under or between two twigs, which 

 arrested its course, After a violent tug or two without effect, it would retrace its 

 steps, dragging the larva in the opposite direction till it was extricated, disposing 

 it so as to keep clear of obstacles, and start again. On every occesion when it had left 

 its hold it made for the same part, and spent some time in fastening its mandibles 

 on the mouth of its prey beneath, so that th»! larva should be dragged on its back; 

 once where this was not the case it was impt ded by the latter grappling with its 

 feet the twigs over which it was drawn, and its cai)tor tiuickly finding the error, 

 let go and took a new hold in the usuiil ]>osition. 



When it ascended about two feet, it came upon a fragment of reed partly em- 

 bedded in the sand, the st«'m of which was broken o! and open below, a few dry 

 elastic shreds of the leaf only remaining. Having reached the jiart where these 

 grew, it by a strong pull drew its burden about half through, till its body was 

 grasped between two of these as in a vice; then letting go, it began to explore the 

 bank on each side to some distance, tapping with its antenuie tlie conspicuous 

 objects. In a few minutes, seeming to be satisfied, it hastily descended the reed, 

 and entered its stem at the lower ind; it did not remain long in the interior, and 

 on its reappearance set otf for the spot where it had left the larva, which, after 

 pulling it ont of the holdfast, it seized by the mouth as usual and began to descend 

 the reed a;^ i ; it did not complete the journey this time, but taking advantage of 

 the same kind of security to detain its prey, it repeated the reconnaissance, then 

 returning, dragged it to the opening, and leaving it there plunged in itself, but 

 immediately reappearing drew in the larva head foremost, speedily disappearing in 

 the interior; so that I could not observe its subsequent proceedings, and being 

 obliged to turn homewards, I left them undistnrl)ed. I think, however, it will 

 seem probable that the bore of the reed was employed instead of an artificial funnel 

 for the cells which should contain the progeny of the Bethylus, with its store of 

 provision. 



