34 



The Irish Naturalist, 



March, 



only about i inch in length and very slender, it is easily 

 overlooked. It is said to nest in bramble stems. 



Crabro palmipes was verv common on the sandhills at 

 Portnoo, and seemed to be particularly' attracted by 

 Knotted Figwcrt {Scrophiilaria nodosa), of which there was 

 a large patch growing in a sheltered hollow, close to a bank 

 of sand in which the Fossor was making its burrows. It 

 was running over the leaves and flying about the plants in 

 numbers, and I was able to take as many as I wanted. 



I found Crabro leiicostomtis at a rose-arch made of pine 

 logs at Lenaderg House, and my friend Mr. C. M. Davies 

 sent me C. cavifrons and C. varius from the same place. All 

 were making their burrows in the dead wood. Mr. Davies 

 also captured Chrysis ignita, which he found entering the 

 holes in the rose-arch. Chrysis is not an aculeate, but is 

 parasitic on various aculeates, e.g., Odynerus, entering their 

 nests and laying its eggs therein. The females have an 

 ovipositor, which can be withdrawn or protruded at will, 

 but, as far as I know, no sting. The popular name for them 

 is Ruby-tailed Flies. 



Oxybehis uniglumis was in considerable numbers at the 

 same bank of sand at Portnoo that Crabro palmipes fre- 

 quented, and I watched it carrying its prey to its burrow, 

 a matter of some difficulty, as the fly was sometimes as big 

 as its captor. When a gust of wind came both captor and 

 captive were blown about mercilessly, but Oxybelus held on, 

 even when dashed on to the sand, and ultimately reached 

 its burrow. I obtained specimens of the flies it was carrying, 

 and Mr. J. E. Colhn, F.E.S., has kindly identified them as 

 Mydaea duplaris and Hylomyia coardata. 



If I had met with nothing else but Colletes montanus at 

 Portnoo, it would have been suflicient reward for my visit, 

 at the same time I must acknowledge that it was more by 

 good luck than good guidance that I obtained them. I took 

 two males on the sandhills, but I was quite unaware of my 

 good fortune until Mr. R. C. L. Perkins, D.Sc, F.R.S., to 

 whom I had sent them with other Aculeata, informed me 

 what they were. This species was introduced to the British 

 List by the late Mr. E. Saunders, F.R.S., on specimens taken 



