376 MR. K. M'LACnLAN ON THE 



quelques-unes de ces larves avec des insectes, afin qu'elles pussent 

 se nourrir. A mon retour de la province de Constantine en 

 Octobre, ou je fis an sejour de huit mois, j'ouvris les boites dans 

 lesquelles j'avais enferme mes larves des Emlia, et sur six de ces 

 larves je n'en trouvai qu'une seule qui se fat transformee en insecte 

 parfaifc. Quant aux autres, elles etaient mortes, et n'avaient pu 

 resister a une si longue captivite." 



Later on, in tlie 'Annales de la Societe Entomologique de 

 France ' for 1859, pp. 4!41-44!4, M. Lucas returned to the subject. 

 The greater part of his paper is only an extension of the notes 

 above quoted ; but there is some additional matter, and of import- 

 ance. He says, " Quant a la matiere soyeuse s§cretee par les 

 larves de VEmlia mauritanica, elle est fournie pendant toute 

 I'exisfcence de ces larves, et cette matiere n'est pas seulement 

 destinee a leur servir d'abri, mais elle est encore employee a 

 prendre les insectes qui servent a la nourriture de ces larves car- 

 nassieres. En effect, si Ton observe ces fourreaux places sous 

 les pierres, on remarque que, dans les environs de ces habitations 

 les larves de ce singulier Nevroptere ont le soin de disposer 9a et 

 la des fils de sole qui sont autant de pieges destines soit a prendre 

 les insectes, soit a les avertir de leur presence." This statement 

 was copied in M. Maurice Grirard's excellent ' Traite elementaire 

 d'Entomologie,' tome ii. (fasc. 1) p. 295, published in 1876. 



Dr. Hagen, writing in the ' Stettiner entomologische Zeitung ' 

 for 1849, p. 56, said that nothing had then been recorded as to 

 the habits.; but in the Verhandlungen des zool.-botanischen 

 Gesellschaft in "Wien ' for 1866, p. 222, he alludes to M. Lucas's 

 statement (in 'Ann. Soc. Fr.'), and he says he possesses a larva 

 (probably of ^. Savignyii) found under a stone at Athens. I have 

 a larva of ^. Solieri found by Mr. Pascoe at Hyeres under a stone ; 

 so that this habit is evidently general, but decidedly not exclusive. 



From the above-given extracts it will be noticed that M. Lucas 

 states distinctly that the larvae are carnivorous, and also that the 

 webs serve the double purpose of entangling the insects that are 

 used for food and of warning the Emlia of the presence of insect 

 enemies ; but I fail to understand any direct or implied assertion 

 that he had seen insects actually caught in the webs or being 

 devoured by the Emhia. Both the larvse and nymphs of the spe- 

 cies found on the orchids spun silken tunnels, not at all of the 

 nature of spiders' webs, but similar to those formed by many 

 Lepidopterous larvsp, and which serve them as a protection from 



