734 Hunting Amblychila. [December, 
ete. These latter insects undoubtedly furnish many a diurnal 
meal for Amblychilæ, which are not to be supposed to pass the 
day in sleep. On one occasion I had an opportunity of watch- 
ing two of them in a large, abandoned badger's burrow. They 
were wide awake, and walking about with vibrating antennæ as 
- if in search of food. I have also kept several living specimens 
in confinement for several weeks, but never discovered any dis- 
position to make excavations for themselves, though they would 
gladly take possession of holes made for them in the earth at. 
the bottom of their cage. 
In regard to food, no living insect.seems to come amiss to 
them. They seem to be especially fond of all sorts of lepidop- 
terous and orthopterous larve. I have seen them seizing and 
devouring the huge wingless locusts (Brachypeplus) and the 
sword-bearers (Hnsicaudes). I observed one individual in the 
act of conquering and devouring the large Prionus of the plains 
(P. fissicornis), and in two instances have seen them eating 
one another, apparently with the greatest relish. In confine- 
ment they will thrive upon full-grown maple worms (Dryocampa 
alba), the caterpillars of the handmaid moth (Datana ministra), 
and upon almost every other insect pest of the orchard and 
garden. 
But while thus visiting the death penalty upon every member 
of his class with which he comes in contact, our voracious hero is 
himself a choice article of diet to at least one carnivorous quad- 
ruped of the plains. Mr. J. M. Walker, one of the members of 
my party, while patroling his accustomed beat one morning be- 
fore sunrise, discovefed the fresh fragments of several half-eaten 
Amblychilz scattered along his route, as if some predatory animal 
had but just preceded him and made his breakfast upon the 
rarities which otherwise would have found their way into the 
collecting-bottle. On the evening of the same day, Mr. Walker, 
while collecting in the same locality, was violently attacked by a 
rabid skunk twice in immediate succession. The next mornmg 
Mr. Foster, the other student of the party, was similarly attacked 
on a neighboring clay bank, and had the good fortune to kill his 
assailant. An examination of the contents of the animal's stom- 
ach disclosed the remains of freshly eaten Amblychila. It would | 
thus appear that this ill-odored quadruped has an original claim — 
to the title of Amblychila hunter, and is ready at thes proper 
time to vindicate the claim against human contestants. This 
fact will merit the serious attention of entomologists who may a 
