266 Insects. 



same time hoping that either you or some of your entomological correspondents will 

 help me to the name. It was during the time of corn-harvest that I was one day sit- 

 ting within doors, near an open window, when in flew what at first, from its hands of 

 black and yellow, and from its general appearance, I took for a wasp. It was laden 

 with a mass of moist clay, which it proceeded to deposit between the open leaves of a 

 book, that chanced to be standing on one end near the window. After some time spent 

 in fixing and forming to his mind, away flew my little architect, soon however to re- 

 turn, but this time laden with a green caterpillar, seemingly as heavy as himself, but 

 quite unresisting and motionless, as if caught and carried off" in a profound nap, or 

 awed into submission by terror or rough handling. The victim was stowed away in 

 the same depositary as the clay, by a fresh importation of which he was subsequently 

 closely immured. Another and another green caterpillar in succession shared the 

 same fate, " each in his narrow cell,'' to the number of somewhere about half-a-dozen. 

 Having to go out to stay a day or two at a friend's, my observations were broken off", 

 not however without requesting that during my absence the window, book, and all, 

 might remain undisturbed. But it is hard to provide against carelessness, curiosity 

 and housewifery (the collector's bane !) : — on my return all was found demolished. It 

 may be well to mention that though this was the only season that the fly came under 

 my observation, several other individuals were at the same time similarly engaged in 

 sealing up victims in the crevices of a loosely built wall close at hand. — W. L. Beynon; 

 Doivn Hall, near Harlotv, June 28, 1 843. 



[May not the insect be the mason wasp {Epipone Icevipes), mentioned in the pre- 

 ceding communication ? — Ed^ 



Notes on the Capture of Claviger foveolatus, and other Coleopterous 

 Insects inhabiting Ants'' Nests. By Frederick Smith, Esq. 



I SHALL, in the first place, give a full account of the capture of 

 Claviger. I believe the first specimen taken in this country was foimd 

 a few years back in a nest of Formica flava, by Mr. John O. West- 

 wood, at Ensham, in Oxfordshire : this solitary capture, together with 

 the time which has since elapsed, and no second specimen turning 

 up, had induced the conclusion that it was one of our rarest insects ; 

 but the interesting observations of a foreign naturahst, P. W. J. Mlil- 

 ler, have drawn the attention of entomologists generally to this insect. 



On the 29th of April last, Mr. E. Doubleday and Mr. Ingall were 

 at Mickleham, on an entomological excursion, and were turning over 

 stones in a field in search of Coleoptera, &c., when on turning over a 

 stone which covered a nest of F. Hava, a strange-looking insect was 

 observed on the under side, in company with some of the ants ; this 

 proved to be the Claviger (Zool. 200) : another was found on the 1st 

 of May, and, although they turned over cartloads of stones in that 

 and some of the adjoining fields, no more could be found at that time; 

 but on Monday, the 19th of Jiuie, the spot having been pointed out 



