546 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XVII. 



No. XXXVIII.— THE SAND WASP (SPEEX LOBATUS). 



With reference to the notes made on page 680 of the B. N. H. Journal 

 Vol. XVI, about Sphex hiatus, I was very interested in watching one of these 

 sand wasps a few days ago. It ran about on the ground for about ten minutes on 

 this occasion. As soon as the sand wasp disappeared underground a large field- 

 cricket (Brachyturpes achcetinus) came out of another hole and commenced to 

 make off, but Sphex lohatus seemed to become aware of this immediately and 

 was out and on to it before it had gone two feet away. The wasp then gripped 

 the cricket at the junction of the thorax and head while seated on its back 

 and stung it under the thorax which made the cricket quite helpless. Tho 

 wasp then proceeded to lay its eggs maintaining the same grip, but shifting its 

 tail up near the cricket's head. I turned the cricket over twice but the wasp 

 deliberately turned it back again and gripped it as first before continuing to lay 

 its eggs. After a couple of minutes the wasp left the cricket and ran back to 

 the hole when it suddenly stopped and began to dig out a hole into which it 

 disappeared, and did not appear again for about three minutes when it came 

 out and closed the hole so arranging the sand that it was impossible to see that 

 the ground had been disturbed in any way. I dug up the hole but lost it and 

 could find nothing. A little later I watched another wasp of the same species. 

 It removed some sand and went back to the cricket which it "gripped by the 

 antennae and dragged it along towards the hole with the help of its legs 

 and wings. 



This was apparently done to avoid injuring the cricket. Before it actually 

 reached the hole I took the cricket away as I was afraid I would not be able 

 to find it again. The wasp was in a great state of mind and spent sometime 

 looking for it. The cricket came to life again very soon after. ' I have had it 

 now for three days and so far it appears none the worse for its inoculation. I 

 also watched a small wasp treat a spider in exactly the same way but I do not 

 know the name of the wasp. 



C. B. BEADNELL. 



Vblloee, N. Arcot District, 17 tk June 1906. 



No. XXXIX— NESTING OF THE IBIS-BILL (1BJDORHYNCHUS 

 STRUTHERSI) AND THE COMMON SANDPIPER 



(TOT AN US HYPOLEUCUS). 



On May 5, 1906, I found the Ibis-bill (IbidorJiynchus struthersi) breeding— on 

 the Bhaghirthi river— at about 8,000 feet. I got three clutches of eggs (four 

 in each), there being, so far as I could make out, only three pairs of birds 

 there. The nests, composed of small stones, were hollowed out and placed on 

 sand and shingle among boulders and were very like a large nest of the 

 Spur-winged Plover. I found two of the nests by watching the birds, but 

 the first one I found by taking back the tracks of a bird that was crouching 

 and running along in this manner and at once flew back when flushed. I had 



