CONTENTS. Vll 



CHAPTER VII. 



BURROWING INSECTS. 



HYMENOPTEBA. 



The SaOba Ant and its Habitation — Use of the "parasol" leaves — Mr. Bates 

 account of the insect — Enoiinous extent of the Dwelling — The Dusky Akt — 

 Its Strength and Perseverance— Man and Insect contrasted — The Brown Ant 

 — Form of its Habitation — Regulation of Temperature — Necessity of Moisture 

 — How the Ant constructs Ceilings — Mining Bees — The Ankrena and its 

 burrowing Powers — The Euceka — Its Habitation and curious method of libe- 

 rating the Antennae — The Scolia, its Burrows and its Prey — The Inhian 

 Sphex and its Ingenuity — The Mellintis and Oxybeiur— Curious method of 

 Catching Prey — The Philanthus, its Burrow, and the Food of its Young — 

 The Humble Bee — Its general Habits — Locality of its Dwelling — Development 

 of the Young — The Lapidary Bee, its Colours, Disposition and Habits — The 

 Wasp — Its food and Habitation — Materials and Architecture of the Nest — Dis- 

 position, Form, and Number of the Cells — Biography of a Queen Wasp, and 

 History of her Nest — Other British Wasps and their Homes — The Monedula 

 and its Prey — Boldness of the insect, and its uses to Travellers — The Bembex — 

 Its energetic Habits, its Food, and Mode of Storing the Nest .... 120 



CHAPTER VIII. 



BURROWING BEETLES. 



The Tiger Beetle, and its habits — Beauty of the Insect, its Larva, and mode of 

 life — Curious form of its Bun'ow — The Sexton Beetle and its power of 

 digging in the ground — The Dor Beetle — its polished surface, and the sub- 

 stances into which it Burrows — Uses of the Dor Beetle — The ScARAB.sus of 

 Egypt and its wonderful Instincts — The Egg, the Grub, and the Cocoon — 

 Cocoon in the British Museum — The Mole Cricket, its form and elaborate 

 Dwelling — Its general Habits, and wide distribution. The Field Cricket, 

 and its Tunnels— Structure of the Ovipositor— The Migratory Locust and its 

 development — The Ant Lion, its form, food, aud mode of life -The pitfall and 

 its stnioture — Mode of catching Prey — Perfect form of the Ant Lion . . 151 



CHAPTER IX. 



WOOD-BORING INSECTS. 



Beetles — The usuni fonn of the Wood-borers — Tlie Scolytus and its ravages- 

 Mode of forming the Tunnels— Curious instinct — Theories respecting the 

 Scolytus — Worm-eaten Furniture, its cause, and the best method of checking 

 the Boring Insects — Ginger and Cork-borers — The "Petrified" Man — The 



