There is a very singular family of Ants, called Mutillvda^, or Solitary Ants, very few of which are known to inhabit England. This is rather cmdous, because they are very plentiful in most quarters of the globe, and seem equally at home in the hottest and coldest climates. More than three hundred species of the Solitary Ant are in the British Museum, and this number will probably be increased as soon as practical entomologists get to work in various parts of the world which have hitherto

not been explored by them. In these Ants there are no workers or neuters, and the males are always winged and the females without wings. The legs of the female are strong and used for burrowing.

On Woodcut XXXIII. Fig. 2, is shown the female of one of our few species, Mutilla Europcea^ the male being drawn at Fig. 3. In this insect the principal colours are black and yellow. The head and legs are black, the thorax is rust-red, and the abdomen is shining black, with a band of pale, shining yellow hair on the first, second, and third segments. The legs are black, and covered with hair and bristles. The male is steely-blue rather than black, the thorax is redder than in the female, and the wings are dusky, darkening on the edges towards the tips. This is a scarce, though widely-distributed insect, and has been taken in that very fertile locality, Darenth Wood. It is also found in the New Forest.

It is a parasitic insect, the larva of the Mutilla feeding on that of the Humble Bee. In Denmark, out of a nest of Humble Bees containing nearly eighty cells, only two of the legitimate inhabitants were hatched, and seventy-six Mutillas, forty-four being males and the remainder females. The Mutillid* are not all parasitic on Humble Bees ; as, in countries where Humble Bees are very scarce, the Mutillidie are plentiful ; while in England, where the Humble Bees and their nests are so common, the Mutillidae are very scarce.

We now come to the Diggers, and take first the family of Pompihdce, in which the thorax is broad— sometimes broader than It is long, and sometimes slightly squared. The hinder margins I'^ther angular, the legs are long, and the abdomen is attached to the thorax by a short footstalk. On Woodcut XXXIV. Fig 1 is shown one of these insects, called Pompilus fuscus, slightly enlarged, so as to show better the formation of the Wing In this genus the head is wide, and set transversely on

e thorax, and the three ocelli are placed in a triangle on the foiehead. The antennae of the female form a curl at the end

y bent. The front wings have one marginal and three suba “h t ‘i--- daws have

little pad between them. The abdomen is longer in the

female than in the male. At Fig. a is shown the maxillary palpus, and at Fig. h the labium.

Tliese insects are all burrowers, and vary much in the soil wliich they prefer for their tunnels. The present species prefers such soil as is found on sandy heaths, and, as it is plentiful all over England, may be captured almost anywhere. The

Pompilns fuscus. 2. Astata loops. 3. Me Uiins aircnsis. 4. Crabro quadnmnou atns. 5. Cerceris arrensis. (t. rompiliis, maxilla and palpus. h. Do., labium. r. Jlellinu.s, mandible. d. Do., labium. e. Do., maxilla and palpus. /. Crabro, larva. p. Astata, head of female.

object of the burrow is to form a retreat for its young ; and, when the tunnel is formed, the insect lays an egg in it, nearly

the hole with spiders, and then closes its mouth. The fills when hatched, begins to feed upon the spiders, young Pompilus,

the mother insect is taught by instinct to place in the and so many spiders that, when the last is eaten, the nest just larva is ready to change into its pupal state.

All the Pompili are pretty insects. The general colour of this species is slightly shining black. The first three segments of the abdomen are rust-red, each having a narrow black band. The wings are dusky, with a livid blackish band on the tips and lower edges. About twenty British species of Pompilus are now known.

In the family Larridce, which comes next in order, the outer edges of the mandibles are curved towards their bases. The tibiae of the two first pair of legs have one spine at their tips, whereas those of the hind pair of legs have two spines. These may seem to be but trifling characteristics, and yet we shall see their value when we come to define the next family.

On Woodcut XXXIV. Fig. 2, is drawn an example of this family. Its name is Astata bodps, and both names are peculiarly appropriate, as we shall presently see. The head is very large, and wider than the thorax, and the eyes are very large, even in the female, while in the male they are so enormous that they meet on the top of the head, of which they occupy the greater part. The specific name of hoops, or ox-eyed, is given to it in consequence of its very large eyes. The figure is that of a male, while the head of the female is shown at Fig. g. The antennae are much more curved in the female than in the male. The first pair of wings have one marginal and three submarginal cells, shaped as may be seen at Fig. 2. The abdomen has a very short footstalk, and in the male the upper suiface is flattened. The colour of the insect is black j there is a little grey down in front of the face. The abdomen is black, with the first and second segments rusty-red, as also the base of the third segment. Its edges are somewhat flattened. The wings are nearly transparent, and have a broad blackish band at the tip of the submarginal cell. This is the colouring of the female. The male is usually, though not always, smaller than the female, and the whole face and cheeks — i.e., the part behind the eyes — are covered with shining silvery white down. His eyes are red and the sides of the thorax, the tip and base of the abdomen are covered with long, greyish down.

This is one of the burrowing insects, and is a very active creature, from whence is derived its name of Astata, signifying

soiH6tliing tli3,t is too restless to stfind. still. It is a sand-lover, and sand-pits and tlieir neighbourhood are good localities wherein to search for it. Mr. F. Smith states that he lias taken it in plenty on Hampstead Heath during the end of July and August. It is not, however, a common species, being one ot the many local insects that are plentiful enough in the place which they frequent, but not to be found out of certain limited districts.

The female prefers the hard to the loose sand, and makes therein a tunnel, some four or five inches in depth, stocking it with different insects. According to Mr. Smith the Astata generally selects for this purpose the larvie of one of the fieldbugs {P entatoTna), but he has seen it carrying a hymenopterous insect, belonging to the genus Oxybelus. Only two British species of Astata are at present known.

The family of the Nyssonida3 are easily distinguished from the preceding family by the jaws and the legs. The mandibles are not waved beneath, and all the legs are moderately spined. A rather pretty and very interesting example of this family is given on Woodcut XXXIV. Fig. 3. Its name is Mellinus arvensis.

In this genus the head is not wider than the thorax, and the eyes are large and oval. These large eyes are used to some purpose, as we shall presently see. The front pair of wings have one marginal and four submarginal cells, the fourth extending to the tip of the wing. The abdomen is long, and its first segment is so drawn out as to form a sort of footstalk by which it is attached to the abdomen. The colour of the insect is black, diversified with yellow feet, and four yellow bands on the abdomen. It is one of the commonest of its kind, and by the following extract the reader will see how to search for and catch it. Mr. F. Smith gives the following graphic account of the Mellinus in his ‘ Catalogue of British Hymenoptera in the British Museum.’

‘ Having frequently observed the habits of the type of this genus, Mellinus arvensis, and reared it from the larval state, a few observations are here required. When the parent insect lias found a burrow of the required length, and enlarged the extremity into a chamber of proper dimensions, she issues forth

in search of the proper food for her young. This consists of

various Dipterous insects. Species of various genera are equally adapted to her purpose.

‘ It is amusing to see four or five females lie in wait upon a patch of cow-dung until some luckless fly settles on it. When this happens, a cunning and gradual approach is made, A sudden attempt would not succeed, for the fly is the insect of quickest flight, and therefore a degree of artifice is necessary. This is arranged by running past the victim slowly and apparently in an unconcerned manner, until the poor fly is caught unawares and carried off by the Mellinus to its burrow. The first fly being deposited, an egg is laid, the necessary number of flies are soon secured, and her task is completed. Sometimes she is interrupted by rainy weather, and it is some days ere she can store up the quantity required.

‘ A larva found feeding became full-fed in ten days ; six flies were devoured, the heads, harder parts of the thorax, portions of the abdomen, and the legs, being left untouched. The larva spins a tough, thin, brown, silken cocoon, passes the winter in the larval state, changes to the nymph (or pupa) on the approach of summer, and appears about the beginning of autumn in the perfect state.’

The mandible of this insect is shown at Fig, c, the labium at d, and the maxilla at e. Only two British species of the genus are known.

In consequence of the vast number of British Hymenoptera, we are forced to select a comparatively few examples, taking those which afford the best types of the different families. We now come to the family of the Crabronidse. In them the liead is large, and frequently of very great size in proportion to the body. The shape of the abdomen is extremely variable, sometimes having a foot-stalk and sometimes none ; while it may be either oval, elliptical, or club-shaped. The eyes are oval, and sometimes have an impression on one side, which gives them somewhat of a kidney shape.

On Woodcut XXXIV. Fig. 4, is drawn Grahro quadrimaculatus, one of the most common of its kind. In consequence of the great number of species in this genus, nearly forty beinoalready known, Mr. F. Smith separates them into several

divisions, the first of which has the abdomen set on a long footstalk ; the second, in which the abdomen has a moderate footstalk ; and the third, in which it has a very short foot-stalk, and the ocelli are set in an eqvdlateral triangle. To this division the present species belongs. Its colour is black, variegated with yellow patches, which are variable both in number and size. The clypeus is deeply keeled in the centre, and thinly covered with fine yellowish down. The abdomen has generally four yellow patches — hence the name of quadrimaculatv^ — ■ and one yellow band.

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