54 
Some Solitary Wasps oe Texas. 
compound curve sloping downward and toward the right for a dis- 
tance of eight inches. The pocket, four and one-half inches from 
the surface, was one-half inch in diameter and three-fourth inch in 
length. 
The larva began spinning its cocoon at 10 :00 a. m. Sept. 5, i. e. 
on the fifth day after the egg was laid. It never quite finished spin- 
ning, though the pupa lived for ten days. 
(c) Hoplisoides, Sp? 
This is a little brown wasp with yellow stripes, inconspicuous on 
account of its small size but of very energetic and business-like airs 
— like certain under-sized people. The species is rather rare, as I 
have seen only several specimens and but one actually at work on 
her nest. While I was standing in the shade, awaiting the return of 
several bug-catchers that had gone hunting, a Hoplisoides dropped 
down* in front of me. She was carrying something which she let 
fall and immediately began digging for the entrance to her nest. 
She had evidently lost trace of this, for she dug at a number of 
places in vain. Bits of dried leaves and bark were strewn about and 
these were kicked away as though they were the cause of the wasp’s 
mistake, instead of being fit land-marks by which the wasp might 
have been guided and the mistake prevented. As it was, some min- 
utes were spent in finding and opening the nest. When this was done 
the wasp walked in. Assured that all was right, she came out and 
seized a piece of wood of the size and shape of the bug she had 
brought, rose on the wing to the height of a few inches, settled at 
the entrance again and walked in. I expected her to take in the 
bug lying in the entrance ; but the piece of wood was carried in first 
and this I afterwards found in the chamber among the bugs of the 
wasp’s collection. She came out after this delay of a few minutes, 
seized the bug, rose on the wing after the usual manner, settled 
at the entrance and walked in with the bug, holding -it under her 
abdomen with her middle legs. When only half inside the bug 
was dropped while the wasp crawled inside over it. After 44 minute 
the bug was pulled inside from within, as is occasionally done by 
Bembidula. In one-half minute the wasp came out, closed the 
nest and after making a few detours at the height of three to four 
feet, flew away. 
At 4:10 she came back again with another bug. This time also 
she encountered some difficulties in finding the entrance though 
there were many sticks and leaves about to guide her to the exact 
spot. Bembex or Microbembex or Ammophila never has so much 
