THE CHRYSIDIDAi. 
195 
nificent spectacle,* and they resemble fiery pearls rushing to and 
fro. They have no industrial habits, and do not lay eggs within 
other insects. Their larvae, However, only live upon living prey, 
and the instinct of the female leads her to lay her eggs where 
the future offspring will be protected against danger. She has 
no hesitation about laying them in the nests of the other 
Hymenoptera, and especially where there is some provision being 
laid up for the larvae. She does not care for the solitary bee or 
a Bembex , for she has a terrible sting and a hard cuirass, which 
is not to be pierced by ordinary insect weapons. 
The female introduces herself into the nest of the bee, for 
instance, and rolls herself up if attacked, and then, being victorious, 
lays her eggs on the food which has been stored up. The little 
parasites are hatched, and live upon this food with the larvae of 
the original tenant, and when the store has been devoured they 
attack the larvae, and suck their juices. They make a cocoon 
before undergoing their metamorphosis, but very little is known 
about their transformations. 
The Chrysis ignita is very common in England, and may be 
seen in constant motion, running upon walls and palings ; it lays 
its eggs in the nests of hornets, sand wasps, and solitary wasps. 
Some beautiful insects of the genus Hedychrum have habits like 
those of the Chrysis just mentioned. Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau 
describes the attack of a sand bee upon one of them which 
had invaded its dwelling in order to lay eggs. The Osmia , 
a sand bee, discovered the intruder in the act, and immediately 
proceeded to turn her out by laying hold of her with its 
mandibles. But the Hedychrum rolled herself up like a ball, 
and was invulnerable. The bee carried her out, gave her a good 
shaking, bit her wings off, and left her. She had her way for 
all that, and crawled back again into the nest, and laid her 
egg- 
The Stilbi have a very convex abdomen, and are inhabitants 
of warm climates, but a species is found in Central France. The 
species of Parnopes are green insects, with flesh-coloured abdomens. 
Paruopes carnei lays its eggs in the nests of the Bembex. 
N 2 
