Insects. 7089 



to share my blanket during the five months I camped out in the back- 

 woods, when attached to an exploring party of the Provincial Geological 

 Survey, and I was often awakened by a sharp pinch from the formidable 

 jaws of one of these large ants, which had made the unpardonable 

 mistake of supposing my leg to be a log of wood, and had accordingly 

 commenced mining operations in it, and, like other creatures higher in 

 the scale of Nature when in error, being extremely tenacious in 

 adhering to its own opinion (and my leg) preferred to be torn to pieces 

 rather than relinquish its hold. 



F. nigra, Linn. Nests common under stones about Montreal. 

 First active about the middle of April. 



F.fusca, Linn. Abundant in rotten stumps on Montreal Mountain. 



Family Pompilid^. 



Pompilus atramentarius, Dahlb. One specimen taken on blossoms 

 of golden-rod, at the base of Belaeil Mountain, August 30, 1857. 



P. niger, Linn. Common, Montreal, July and August. 



P. ? A very active species, black with a red band across 



the base of the abdomen, is numerous about Montreal, hanging over 

 the heads of umbelliferous plants and Solidago, in July and August. 

 I have observed it burrowing in dry banks near Lachine. It inflicts 

 an acutely painful wound with its sting when taken in the fingers. 



Family Sphegid^e. 



Ammophila luctuosa, Smith. Numerous on the sandy common at 

 Sorel, in May. 



A. urnaria, Kliig. Abundant at Sorel, where I used to find great 

 numbers clasping the stalks of the garden Asparagus with their jaws, 

 and at Montreal I have taken specimens hanging to the stems of the 

 wild parsnip in a similar manner. I also met with this species when 

 ascending the River Rouge. 



Pelopceus cceruleus, Linn. (Dirt Dauber). This insect swarms, from 

 the end of June to September, in the verandahs and wooden passages 

 of houses, in the neighbourhood of Montreal, in the corners of which 

 it constructs its clay nests. In a cell of one of these nests which I 

 opened at the end of July, 1856, I found eleven spiders of different 

 species, and a larva which appeared to have been but recently hatched. 

 In about a week this larva had eaten up all the spiders and grown 

 to many times its original size. It fell out of the broken cell, and tried 

 to spin a cocoon against the sides of a wine-glass which I had placed 

 xviii. 2 Q 



