Twice we have seen our spinolæ, as she was bringing home her prey, alight near the nest and sting it as it was held with the second pair of legs. We could see the process distinctly, since she is slow and clumsy, and, in one instance, had difficulty in reaching the fly, falling over to one side in an awkward manner. It is probable, then, that this is a habit with the wasp, but that the sting is usually given at the place of capture.
We opened a number of Bembex nests, but succeeded in raising only one larva, which we took when it was half grown. This one, during the five days that passed before it spun the cocoon, ate forty-three flies.
Mr. Bates has some notes on Monedula signata, which takes nothing but flies, and even confines itself to a single species, although it must sometimes go half a mile away to find it. This reminds us of Pompilus quinquenotatus, which never takes anything but Epeira strix.
BEMBEX
A considerable contribution to our knowledge of the genus Bembex has been made in the paper by Wesenberg (written in Danish) which has already been referred to. This paper deals with Bembex rostrata. It was translated for Mr. Ashmead by Mr. Martin Linell.
