248 
The males and oviparous females begin to appear late in October. 
These females differ somewhat m appearance from the others previously 
observed, they. being more elongate and pointed posteriorly. The color 
does not materially differ, except that the eggs show through the trans- 
parent skin, appearing like indistinct, oblique, lighter lines. They may 
be farther distinguished from the viviparous females by their position 
upon the leaf, in which, instead of being perfectly natural, the body is 
often thrown out at right angles to the leaf; in fact, so far as I have 
observed, this is the rule and not the exception. The eggs are of a 
glossy green immediately after deposition, but later turn to a jet black 
color. 
THE LARGER DIGGER-W ASP. 
By C. V. RILEY. 
Fic. 32.—Female Sphecius carrying a Cicada to her burrow—natural size (original). 
One of the most common of our digger-wasps, aS well as one of the 
largest and most conspicuous, is the Sphecius speciosus, a brown-black 
insect with yellow markings on its abdomen, and commonly known as 
the Hornet. Thatit feeds in the larva state on our large Dog-day Har- 
vest-fly or Cicada (Cicada pruinosa) has long been known to natural- 
ists, but is not known to people generally, though the curious habit of 
the wasp in seizing and straddling its larger victim and laboriously 
climbing up some tree, from which it can take a descending flight to its 
burrow, is frequently observed and rarely fails to elicit inquiry as to | 
what the purpose of the acts may be. In fact, almost every year some 
one comes to me with a graphic description of the curious acts of this 
wasp, which he has observed, and wants to know why she drags the 
Cicada about so ruthlessly, instead of at once devouring it. Much might 
be said about the intelligence which the female digger-wasp exhibits in | 
thus managing a victim much larger and heavier than herself, and 
