Some Hypermetatnorphic Beetles 31 



inch or so from it. The depth varies from fifteen to twenty-two 

 inches or even more. The diameter of the hole is invariable 

 throughout except for the slight irregularities necessarily due to 

 mandibular action. The holes are not enlarged at the bottom, 

 but are evenly and very regularly rounded. Side chambers are 

 found below twelve inches, varying from abandoned galleries of 

 one-quarter inch to an inch and a half. These chambers are 

 generally horizontal and are of the same diameter exactly as the 

 main hole. Occasionally the hole will branch out on its down- 

 ward path and have two main passages. That smaller holes 

 enter these is very noticeable. Some of these holes are hardly 

 larger than a pin in diameter and reach the main hole by down- 

 ward, horizontal, or upward directions. They undoubtedly be- 

 long to some parasites not yet observed. In many cases roots 

 were found to have entered the holes near the bottom and coiled 

 themselves to form a neat nest in which the bee had deposited 

 pollen masses. 



The contents of one certain cell has occasioned a great deal of 

 discussion among those consulted. Not varying whatever in 

 size or shape, it was found to contain at its bottom a very com- 

 pact mass of skeletal remains of the small sunflower snout- 

 beetle, probably Smicronyx fulvus, or a nearly related species. 

 Consider that the hole is not enlarged as is customary among 

 wasps ; that these were found at least a foot and a half below 

 ground ; that sunflower does not exist within a large radius from 

 the holes; that the beetle and also Epinomia are typical Helian- 

 thus insects; that the only wasps found at the holes besides 

 Ammophila are too small to carry the beetle; that the tiger beetle 

 does not customarily visit the sunflower for its prey ; that the 

 beetles would not come of their own accord in such number to a 

 single hole; that the only insect at the holes which might be 

 suspected are tiger beetles, bees, and wasps. The author does 

 not attempt to explain. Mr. Titus writes as follows : "I have 

 never found a beetle in any [nest] which I have examined. 

 Cerceris spp. do store food in the nests of some bees and Sphex 

 sp. will store grasshoppers in nests of spider and Melissodes 

 obliqua. They sometimes have to enlarge the holes. The same 



183 



