THE PH I LA NTH I. 
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the corselet, and stings it in the body. The bee, being a brave 
insect, offers great resistance, but the Philanthus rarely misses 
its aim, and usually succeeds in imparting some of its venom to 
the unfortunate victim. The bee becomes convulsed, and thrusts 
out its sting here and there, but it is of no use, and insensibility 
soon comes on. Then the attacking insect seizes the bee with 
its mandibles and legs, and flies off with its burden. As the 
Philanthus approaches its nest it may often be noticed to stop, 
as if it feared some hidden danger, but sooner or later it intro- 
duces its prey, lays an egg, and closes the gallery. 
In the engraving two females may be observed carrying bees 
which they have stupefied. In the earth, on the right-hand side, 
a bee has just been introduced into a cell; in the next gallery 
a large larva has consumed the greater part of its provisions, 
and in the three other cells the larvae may be observed in their 
cocoons, which have transparent walls. 
The Philanthi often frequent particular places in great numbers, 
and many hundreds of them may be seen working simultaneously, 
but without taking any notice of each other. Not only do they 
display indefatigable industry, but very great boldness also, for 
every now and then they do not hesitate to come near beehives, 
and to seek their prey in such very dangerous neighbourhoods, 
for certainly they might easily be destroyed by the efforts of a 
number of their victims. The larva is rather compact in shape, 
and attains its full growth when it has eaten its bee ; it then 
constructs a silken cocoon with very thin walls, which are almost 
transparent. The cocoon is of a very peculiar shape, for it resembles 
a small long bottle ; its bottom is round, and the neck is very 
visible, and appears to be closed with a black wax ; in fact, the 
cocoons of Philanthus resemble the tiny bottles in which homoeo- 
paths carry about their remedies. Water renders the cocoons 
quite transparent. 
The Great Crabro ( Crabro cephalotes ) makes holes and cells 
in rotten wood, with the aid of its mandibles, which have a bifid 
termination, and it victuals its nest with flies. 
The small Cemonus lugubris constructs regular cells in the 
stems of briars, and the accompanying engraving represents the 
curious appearance of the cells in a twig of a wild rose. 
P 2 
