NOTES AND QUERIES. 391 



• Journal of the Marine Biological Association ' (vol. iv. no. 3), after reviewing 

 the literature of the subject, shows as the result of experiments made by 

 him how Starfishes contrive to work their way into the shells of bivalve 

 marine mollusca, for the purpose of preying upon the inhabitants. So fully 

 convinced is he of the destructive habits of Starfishes in this direction that 

 he advises the owners of Oyster-beds to destroy every Starfish that can be 

 found in the beds. 



INSECTS. 



The Giant Wood Wasp (Sirex gigas). — In August last a friend 

 brought me a fine lively specimen of the above insect, taken in his green- 

 house in Durham. It proved to be a female, having an ovipositor 1 in. 

 long ; antennas £ in. long ; longest legs over 1 in. long ; total over all full 

 2£ in. ; expanse of wings over 2| in. It is the first specimen of the insect 

 that I have ever met with. — James Sutton (Durham). 



[An article on British Sawflies, with illustrations, will be found in 

 'The Field* of Feb. 18th, 1893; and a List of Norfolk Sawflies has been 

 published by Mr. Bridgman, Trans. Norfolk Nat. Soc. vol. iv. p. 523. 

 —Ed.] 



Larvae of Death's Head Moth.— During August and the early part 

 of September the larvae of the Death's Head Moth (Acherontia atropos) 

 were unusually abundant around Scarborough. Between Aug. 21st and 

 Sept. 5th I had brought to me eight larvae and one imago, mostly taken 

 on potatoes, but two were reported as feeding on "tea-tree" and one on 

 beetroot, the latter being, I believe, a somewhat unusual food. All the 

 specimens were nearly full-fed when discovered, and changed to the pupa 

 state very shortly after their capture. I recollect about five years ago there 

 was a similar abundance of this species, when I had many specimens 

 brought for identification. — W. J. Clarke (44, Huntriss Row, Scarborough). 



Wasps and their Uses.— The Wasp is generally regarded as emble- 

 matical of irritability and petty malignity ; but it plays a beneficial part in 

 the work of nature, as a note in the ' Irish Naturalist' testifies. A number 

 of Wasps were seen by Mr. R. M. Barrington, of Bray, buzzing about his 

 cows. Closer inspection revealed that they were all busy catching flies, 

 and pouncing, with the rapidity of hawks after birds, on the flies as they tried 

 to settle or rest on some favourite part of the cow. One white cow drew 

 more Wasps than any of the others, because the moment a fly alighted it was 

 seen at once against the skin. When a Wasp catches a fly it immediately 

 bites off both wings, sometimes a leg or two, and occasionally the head. 

 Mr. Barrington saw some of the Wasps when laden with one fly catch 

 another, without letting go the first, and then fly away with both. There 

 was a constant stream of Wasps carrying away flies, probably to feed the 



