THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 65 
the loss of its prey. It also threw sand rapidly, but I could not see that 
the sand struck the ant except when it tried to escape up the side of the 
pit back of the larva; then the sand invariably struck it and brought it to 
the bottom. The ant finally escaped, but the next day was again caught 
and its juices sucked dry. 
In no instance did I see so much resistance offered as in this case; 
usually the ants seemed to realize that their adversary was one with which 
they could not cope. From my observations I concluded that the larva 
trusted rather to its long mandibles and the inability of its prey to readily 
climb the walis of the pit, than to sand throwing where it did not capture 
them in the first attempt, for I saw it throw sand in but few instances. I 
did not see it in the act of digging its pitfall but once ; it was then mid- 
night and I did not stay to witness the completion. I noticed only that 
it threw the sand out with its head, working very rapidly. I have some- 
times left the room to return in less than an hour to find a completed pit 
where before there was no sign of it. From the day of capture to May 
rith I kept it supplied with ants, of which it destroyed numbers every 
day, but on the latter date, either by design or accident, its pit was filled 
level with the surface, and from this time to the time of pupating it dug 
none, remaining hidden most of the time and but once taking any food, 
then capturing an ant while concealed by a few grains of sand. On june 
4th it constructed a round cocoon of silk, covered with grains of sand, 
and about one-half aninch in diameter. I presume it immediately pu- 
pated, but did not open the cocoon to ascertain. On July 8th the imago 
appeared and proved to be AZyrmeleon immaciulatus. 
In the larva state it is certainly in some respects the most interesting 
insect I have ever seen, its very activity and pugnacity exciting admiration ; 
its mandibles were always ready to close upon any intruding object. When 
I first obtained it I wished to preserve a description and in order to 
accurately observe the colors I was obliged to remove the fine grains of 
sand that were entangled in the short hairs on the body ; this I did with 
a camel’s hair brush, an operation to which the larva decidedly objected, 
but it stood its ground and fought it out, constantly seizing the brush 
between its mandibles, often in its attempts to reach it springing quite 
clear of the table. 
