v648 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



■which the jaws also probably play a part. After the anterior part of the 

 pupa is free from the cocoon, the imago emerges by bursting the pupal skin 

 longitudinally along the micldorsal line in the thoracic region, the fissure 

 ^also extending sideways behind the head. 



The pupal stage lasts for about seventeen days. One larva began to 

 build its cocoon on the morning of the 23rd July. The cocoon was com- 

 pleted by the morning of the 24th July. The imago emerged on the 10th 

 August. 



Another larva completed its cocoon on the morning of the 3Ist July and 

 the imago emerged on the 17th August. 



Imago. — About the habits of the imago, there is nothing to be recorded 

 .beyond the fact that it comes to light. 



C. C. GHOSH, 

 Pdsa, A2yril 1913. Asst. to the Imperial Entomologist. 



No. XLI.— THE HABITS OF THE SOLITARY WASP 

 {SCELIPRRON INTRUBENS.) 



I am sending a rough sketch of the nest of a solitary wasp. It may be 

 -well known, but as I have taken an interest in these hymenoptera for many 

 years, and have seen nothing like it, I send on the chance of its being 

 unusual. The nest was built on the mantle piece of my study. After the 

 series of cells was finished, the wasp took special pains to strengthen the 

 whole with ordinary clay as usual, but then proceeded for quite a fortnight 

 to model and paint it to resemble the branch of a tree. You will notice 

 that it is bifurcated at its top and grooved to resemble the bark, and that 

 various shades of green and cream clay are used, with light green and 

 white chalk for its lichen. After it had finished the nest, it still went on 

 daubing the wall for a foot away from the cells. The nest is 6^ inches. 

 I did not secure its inmate as I wished to see how much she would do and I 

 hoped to obtain one from the nest. I enclose in a separate parcel portions 

 of the nest with some pupse nearly hatched and from which I hope you 



■ can identify the insect. In a small screw of paper I have put a piece of 

 the '' lichen ." 



I am very sorry I could not get the nest off entire, but it was so firmly 

 fixed to the wall that it broke all to pieces and the bifurcated part was 

 'wedged into the ornamentation of the mantle piece. 



The resemblance of a branch is marvellous and the painting by the wasp 



■ quite artistic. 



The wall along the edge of the cells was painted intermittently as shown 

 on the sketch, this if on the branch of a tree would have blended the 

 colours on the natural bark with those on the cells. 



The thing which surprised me most was the bringing of grass to act as 

 tiny twigs and the white chalk. I have enclosed a portion with such a 

 twig attached. 



C. P. CORY, 

 Archdeacon of Rangoon. 



Maymyo, Upper Burma, 

 July 6th, 1913. 



[The wasp was Sceliphron intrudens, a species accorditig to Bingham found ia 

 Sikkim, Burma, Tenasserim and the Celebes. Unfortunately it was not possible to 

 reproduce Archdeacon Cory's coloured sketch showing the way in which the branch 

 ' of a tree had been wonderfully copied, which in the situation chosen, was the very 

 .reverse from having a concealing effect — Eds.] 



