STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
821 
BEE-KILLER. ITS FETID ODOR. CRUEL MODE OF KILLING ITS PRET. 
species of Trupanea which I had never met with before and which is closely 
like though probably distinct from this Nebraska Bee-killer. The genial 
warmth reflected from the white surface of the paper lying in the clear sun 
had evidently attracted it to this unusual situation. 
So late as the month of October, ten years ago, upon a clear warm day, 
in a sunny nook upon the south side of a forest, I came upon quite a num¬ 
ber of the Erax rujibarbis, flying about and alighting upon the leaves—a 
species I have never met with except in that instance. They were warmed 
into such quickness of motion, and were so extremely vigilant and shy of 
my approach, that with my utmost skill I was able to capture but two in¬ 
dividuals which were impeded in their movements from being paired to¬ 
gether. I infer these Nebraska flies to be common and far less wary than 
the species alluded to—else our correspondent would have been unable to 
secure two individuals of each sex to transmit to us. And I suspect these 
specimens were obtained when they were copulated. If so, it is probablo 
that the three sting-like bristles which I have described above, are not 
protruded and visible externally, except at such times. 
In flying, these insects make a very loud humming sound, which can 
scarcely be distinguished from that of the bumble-bee; and when involved 
within the folds of a net, they utter the same pipingnotc of distress as does 
that insect. This very probably contributed to impress our correspondent 
with the thought that the three bristles which are extruded by the male 
are a formidable three-pronged sting. 
Another fact which I do not see alluded to by any author, is the fetid 
carrion-like odor which some of these Asilus flies exhale. I noticed this 
odor in the Erax rufibarbis which was captured as above related. And in 
these Nebraska specimens, though they have now been dead a fortnight 
and freely exposed to the air the latter half of that time, this disgusting 
scent still remains, and so powerful is it that on two occasions nausea has 
been produced when they have happened to be left upon the table beside 
me. As the newly captured fly above mentioned is wholly destitute of. 
this fetor, it may be that it is only at the period of sexual intercourse that 
it occurs. 
These flies are inhuman murderers. They arc the savages of the insect 
world, putting their captives to death with merciless cruelty. Their large 
eyes divided into such a multitude of facets, probably give them most acute 
and accurate vision for espying and seizing their prey; and their long stout 
legs, their bearded and bristly head, their whole aspect indicates them to 
be of a predatory and ferocious character. Like the hawk they swoop upon 
their prey, and grasping it securely between their fore feet they violently 
bear it away. They have no teeth and jaws wherewith to bite, gnaw and 
masticate their food, but are furnished instead with an apparatus which 
answers them equally well for nourishing themselves. It is well known 
what maddening pain the horse flies occasion to horses and cattle, in wound¬ 
ing them and sucking their blood. These Asilus flies possess similar 
organs, but larger and more simple in their structure, more firm, stout and 
powerful. In the horse flies the trunk or proboscis is soft, flexible and sen- 
