1 832.] Entomology. 597 



terity in climbing, swinging itself, monkey-like, from halm to 

 halm, often suspended only by the front tarsi. One specimen 

 was observed devouring a Tipula, and if this Dipteron should be 

 the usual fcod of the Bittacus, the existing mimicry between the 

 two insects would be significant, and in this particular case the 

 more so as the Californian Tipula has, at least in the male, only 

 rudimentary wings. According to Mr. H. Edwards's observations 

 both species are frequently found in the same localities. 



Strange Habit of Metapodius femoratus Fab.— The " thick- 

 thighed metapodius " is a common insect in the Southern cotton 

 fields, attracting attention by its buzzing flight and ungainly form. 

 The numerous observers connected with the cotton insect investi- 

 gation have observed it preying upon the cotton caterpillar, while 

 Glover states that it has been observed to injure cherries in the 

 Western States. Mr. Schwarz informs me that he has seen it 

 sucking the moisture from the newly dropped excrement of some 

 unknown bird. Its eggs, according to Glover, are smooth, short, 

 oval, and have been found arranged around a pine-leaf like a 

 bead necklace. 



In May of the present year, while studying the Northern army- 

 worm (Leucania unipunaa) in the wheat fields near Huntsville, 

 Alabama, I found that among the other new natural enemies 

 which this Southern irruption occasioned the Metapodius was 

 very conspicuous. Immediately upon entering the fields I was 

 struck with its buzzing flight, and it was not long before I dis- 

 covered one flying with an army-worm impaled upon its beak. 

 Watching its flight I soon saw it alight in the line of May-weed 

 (Maruta cotula), which surrounded the field, and hastening to 

 the point, found it busily engaged in sucking the blood of the 

 captured worm. I was about to step closer and bottle the speci- 

 men, when it began to crawl down the branch upon which it had 

 alighted, with that ridiculously slow and majestic motion pecu- 

 liar to Reduvius and other Heteropters, until it reached a crotch 

 where it dropped the shrivelled corpse of the worm so that it 

 hung exactly suspended. Up to this time I had been so inter- 

 ested in watching this individual that I had not looked about me 

 closely, and now I was surprised to find that the whole long line 

 of May-weeds was fairly garnished with the empty skins of 

 Leucania larva?, each one hung with great nicety in some crotch. 

 This same field I visited for three successive days, and in that 

 time there was quite a perceptible increase in the number of the 

 worms so placed. The sight of these suspended larvae was cer- 

 tainly one of much interest, and, without seeing the great bug at 

 work I might have puzzled over it for a long time without any 

 satisfactory explanation. 



1 shall not attempt to explain this curious procedure on the 

 Part of the Metapodii. It is seemingly as unexplainable as the 

 somewhat similar habit of the Southern loggerhead or shrike in 



