THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 57 



to bite, even when the victim remains still, but in this case the 

 cricket refused most determinedly to keep quiet. 



However, the deed was accomplished at last, and with a 

 fatal result. After being bitten I placed the cricket in a box 

 with a handful of earth, under which it immediately burrowed, 

 but on turning it out about ten minutes later it was quite dead. 



Judging from the result of these trials I am convinced that 

 the bite of the Victorian " katipo," although more poisonous 

 than most spiders, would not be fatal to a healthy child, nor 

 even to a mouse. 



That the bite of this spider is more venomous than most 

 spiders of the same size is, I think, shown by the nature of its 

 prey, which consists chiefly of wasps, ants, earwigs, the larger 

 kinds of beetles, and spiders sometimes twice its own size. 



Kew, julv, 1888. CHAS. FROST. 



NOTES ON THE HABITS OF PERGA LEWISIl. 



The insect which forms the subject of these notes belongs to 

 the order Hymenoptera, family Tenthredinidoe, more commonly 

 known by the name of saw flies, from the ovipositors of the 

 females being divided into a pair of horny saws. 



The way in which Perga Letvisii deposits her eggs is worthy 

 of notice. I find that, in the cold weather, the eggs are always 

 placed on the north side of the bush or plant so that they can 

 feel the sun's warmth nearly all day. 



This insect, after trying a great many leaves of the pepper- 

 mint, at last finds one to her satisfaction, and, after a careful 

 survey, prepares to deposit her eggs, which is accomplished as 

 follows : — On the upper surface, and a little below where the 

 leaf stalk joins the leaf, the insect inserts the point of her 

 ovipositor, and moves the saws gently backwards and 

 forwards until they are buried in the substance of the leaf. The 

 saws are then expanded and withdrawn. On examination an 

 tgg is found in the wound, and this is repeated until as many 

 as thirty or forty are deposited. 



It is also worthy of notice that the insect cuts through the 

 midrib of the leaf. This may be only because the rib is above 

 the general surface of the leaf, and therefore keeps the saws 

 from slipping on the smooth surface, or perhaps the insect 

 uses the midrib as a guide to keep the eggs in line. But I 

 think the real purpose for cutting the midrib is to keep down 

 the flow of sap, so that the injured vegetable substance shall 

 not recover too soon, and thus crush the newly laid eggs. 

 The eggs are about the one-twentieth of an inch in length, 

 but they appear to absorb moisture, and increase to nearly 

 double their original size. These under notice were deposited 



