Insects. 3249 



season, the numerical amount of species must be something which I 

 will not venture to state as even probable, lest your readers should at 

 once set me down as a wild enthusiast, instead of the plain matter-of- 

 fact entomologist they may have previously considered me. But let 

 a careful examination be made of the situations alluded to, and it will 

 be found that the slopes and cliffs are completely riddled with the 

 burrows of various species of insects ; in fact I should expect to see 

 in Sandown Bay, as I have done at Northfleet in Kent, in the begin- 

 ning of May, such countless myriads of Anthophora retusa, that a 

 flickering shadow would be cast by them on the beach beneath. I 

 think it very probable that Anthophora is the bee alluded to by White 

 in his 'Natural History of Selborne,' where he says that on a hill near 

 Lewes " there haunts a species of wild bee, making its nest in the 

 chalky soil ; when people approach the place, these insects begin to 

 be alarmed, and with a sharp and hostile sound dash and strike round 

 the faces of intruders." 



It must be borne in mind that all the species enumerated occur be- 

 tween Culver Cliff and Shanklin Chine, unless otherwise indicated. 



Formica rufa, F. fusca, F. nigra, F. cunicularia, F. flava. 



Myrmica rubra, M. ruginodis, Nylander, M. laevinodis, Nylander, 

 M. fuscula, Nylander. 



Mutilla ephippium. Of the male seventeen specimens, and seven- 

 teen females. T found this usually rare insect on the slopes at the 

 foot of the cliffs in Sandown Bay. The male I never captured be- 

 fore ; it is an insect of rapid flight, and extremely difficult to capture, 

 and it is only by becoming acquainted with its mode of flight, that 

 you can recognize and capture it. The female is plentiful, but my 

 attention was directed to the capture of the male. It differs much in 

 size, my specimens varying from 4j to 2j lines ; one specimen is 

 entirely black, no trace of the red thorax being perceptible. I also 

 saw, but failed to capture, a magnificent male of Mutilla europaea. 



Pompilus plumbeus, P. rufipes, P. gibbus, P. exaltatus, and P. 

 fuscus. 



Ammophila sabulosa, A. lutaria. 



Larra pompiliformis. Very plentiful, furnishing its nest with lepi- 

 dopterous larvae. 



„ unicolor. This rare species I met with both at Sandown 

 and Luccombe Chine. I captured five specimens. 



Oxybelus uniglumis. This species occurs in utter profusion. 



Crabro cribrarius, C. lapidarius, C. spinipectus, C. albilabris. 



Diodontus minutus. 



IX. 2 M 



