MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 297 
larva grows inside its temporary prison, and as it develops it feeds on the spiders. 
It grows until it forms a thin, brown, membraneous casing round it, after the 
manner of a butterfly chrysalis, and if this casing is broken, it reveals the larva 
inside. Tho chitinous covering surrounding the larva seems to be enveloped 
in a fine, flimsy, woolly web. From the chrysalis the imago emerges, but I have 
not yet seen an insect in course of emergence. It is difficult to ascertain exactly 
how long it takes for an egg to become an insect, because the contents 
of a cell cannot be examined unless it is broken, and when this is done, all 
further observations on that particular cell have to be concluded, and 
another has to be found with the larva it contains in a more advanced 
stage than the larva in the cell previously examined. I regret very much 
that I cannot supply definite and accurate information as to the 
duration of larval life of this wasp. Arguing from analogy this period ought 
to be about a fortnight, while the time taken for an imago to develop 
from an egg would probably be from about four weeks to a month ; but evidently 
this Sceliphron takes longer to develop, as a large number of cells I have seen 
were built about two’months ago and no wasp has emerged from any of them 
yet. Some of the cells I have sent the Society are full and advantage may be 
taken of this to ascertain the duration of larval life. 
Difference in Habits from Sceliphron madraspatanum. 
While considering the habits of this Sceliphron it would not perhaps be out 
of place to make a few remarks with reference to the habits of Sceliphron madras- 
patanum. In ‘Indian Insect Life’ there is a most interesting account of 
the latter species, and with reference to the remarks therein made, the following 
outstanding points of difference in the habits of this Sceliphron and Sc. madras- 
patanum have been observed :— 
(1) The total number of cells made by Sceliphron madraspatanum is appa- 
rently not more than seven, but in the case of this Sceliphron I have shown 
that as many as fifteen cells are built ; 
(2) When all the cells are complete they are not coated with a layer of 
mud as is done in the case of the cells made by Sceliphron madraspatanum ; 
(3) When a wasp is unable to complete the task of filling in a cell with 
spiders, it does not put a temporary mud covering over the mouth of the cell 
as is done by Sc. madraspatanum ; t 
(4) Taking the illustration given in ‘‘ Indian Insect Life ” of cells of 
Sc. madraspatanum as depicting typical cells of that species, there is a great 
difference in general appearance between them and the cells made by the 
species at present written about. The cells of Sceliphron madraspatanum 
arebigger and coarser looking, the layers being distinctly visible, and, 
moreover, the manner in which the cells are grouped together is quite differ- 
ent, as will be seen by a comparison between the illustration referred 
to and the diagrams appended to these notes. 
Mr. Ellison asked me to try and send the Society, for exhibition purposes, 
some cells of this Sceliphron. After several unsuccessful attempts I have at 
last succeeded in removing five cells whole, and I trust that these will be fit 
for exhibition in the Society’s rooms. 
In conclusion, I have no doubt that my observations and notes must necessarily 
be imperfect, but as I have already stated, I am not an entomologist, and I have 
written this note because. the Sceliphron wasps are very interesting and also 
form an important genus from an economic point of view, and that, therefore, 
any notes on their habits would probably be of some interest. 
S. BASIL-EDWARDES. 
Sma, Sth July 1921. 
38 
