Insects. 



8245 



variance with that of the rest of the family, but cannot help thinking that it may have 

 some connection with the sloe. 



Sanothripa Revayana and Peronea cristana also appeared singly. — R. M'Lachlan; 

 Forest Hill, October 10, 1862. 



Occurrence of Poedisca oppressana near Willesden. — On the 20th of June last 

 I captured a single specimen of this insect on a fence near Willesden, Middlesex. 

 There were three or four large poplar trees close by. — Percy C. W or maid ; Kilburn, 

 N.W., October I, 1862. 



An Insect Gravedigger. — As I was sitting, this morning, on the lower step of my 

 verandah, my gaze fixed listlessly, during the noontide heat, upon the gravel-walk 

 before me. " Thinking," I verily believe, " of nothing," or, at most, entertaining a 

 dream)' impression that I was becoming a focus for the concentration of the sun's rays, 

 my eyes were suddenly attracted to an insect whose motions very soon rivetted my 

 attention. The little creature, when I first caught sight of it, had already commenced, 

 within four feet of the spot on which I was seated, its work of excavation ; for as I 

 looked it disappeared, and shortly afterwards returned to the surface of the ground, 

 tail first, and, running backwards over a tiny mound it had previously made, deposited a 

 grain of gravel, fully as large as its own head, outside the mound, with the evident 

 intention that it should not roll back again into the cave it was in process of forming. 

 This operation was continued with great rapidity, and ever as it re-entered the orifice 

 I saw minute particles of sand fly upward, impelled purposely by its descending feet. 

 The care with which the insect distinguished between the larger and the smaller grains 

 was wonderful ; those only whose gravity might have caused them to roll down again, 

 had they been placed below the apex of the mound on the side on which the work was 

 being carried on, were conveyed beyond the mound ; the smaller grains were added to 

 the mound itself without much apparent discrimination. After a time the work was 

 evidently completed to the satisfaction of the labourer, for it flew away to the grass 

 edging of a flower-border, distant about six feet from the cave, and immediately 

 emerged from thence, dragging after it — for it was running backward — the body of a 

 large spider, not long dead, — a spider whose bulk was at least three times as great as 

 that of its intending sexton. On arriving within twelve inches of the sepulchre the 

 insect left the corpse, and hastened thither, to ascertain, as I cannot doubt, w hether or 

 not the orifice was large enough for its admission : it was not so, and the grave-digger 

 resumed his work, enlarging, though but very slightly — showing thus how true his eye 

 was — the opening he had made. Returning to the spider, he dragged it onward, and, 

 still running backwards, pulled it after him within the hole ; and I noticed that, so nice 

 had been the calculation, there was exactly sufficient space for the passage of the body, 

 — sufficient, but not a hair's breadth to spare. The insect soon once more emerged, 

 and immediately commenced filling in the grave, — a work he speedily, though care- 

 fully, accomplished ; aud when that work was completed he ran round and round with 

 great celerity upon the surface, scattering the gravel in all directions with his feet, 

 with the undoubted object of obliterating even the faintest mark by which his cache 

 might be discovered ; and so effectually was this portion of his operation executed 

 that half-an-hour subsequently I was unable (though I searched diligently and 

 anxiously, assisted too by eyes far keener than my own, — eyes that had also watched 

 the whole transaction), to find it out myself. Meantime, having sent for my net, I, 

 not without some feelings of compunction, captured the little workman, aud, putting 

 him to death by the shortest possible method, made a sketch of him for future 



