"A larva found feeding became full-fed in ten days. Six flies were devoured, the heads, harder parts of the throat, portions of the abdomen, and the legs, being left untouched. The larva spins a tough, thin, brown silken cocoon, passes the winter and spring in the larva state, changes to the nymph on the approach of summer, and appears about the beginning of autumn in the perfect state." There is a genus of hymenopterous insects known by the name of _Scolia_, which are remarkable for their fossorial powers. The species represented in the engraving is called _Scolia Xantiana_, and is a native of California. When the female Scolia is about to fulfil the great object for which she came into the world, she looks about for a suitable spot, where the ground is not too hard, and digs a perpendicular burrow of some depth, enlarging it at the bottom, and digging horizontally, so that the general shape of the burrow somewhat resembles that of a boot. When the burrow is completed, the insect flies off in search of food for its young, and presently returns, bearing with her a grub, which she clasps tightly under her chest, so that her wings may be at liberty. She then takes the grub to the bottom of the tunnel, deposits an egg upon it, and if the grub be a small one, goes off to fetch another. When a sufficiency of food has been obtained, she covers up the grub and egg and leaves the latter to its fate. In due time it is hatched, and begins straightway to feed upon its unfortunate fellow-prisoner. When all the food is gone, it is old enough to assume the perfect form, and when it finally becomes a perfect insect, it makes its way into the open air, and straightway looks out for a mate. [Illustration] An European species of this genus, which is called _Scolia flavifrons_, is remarkable for the four large, round spots on the upper surface of the abdomen. This species always feeds its young on the grub of a beetle, one of the lamellicorn group, and in this case the grub is so large that one is sufficient. In the illustration, the left hand figure shows a section of the burrow of _Scolia Xantiana_, and exhibits the enlarged portion of the tunnel in which are placed the young Scolia and the unfortunate grub which has to serve it for food. The insect itself is seen in the centre. For figures 3 and 4 the reader is referred to the heading "Spiders." There is another British insect which feeds its young with flies, and which catches them in a manner somewhat similar to that which has recently been narrated when treating of the Mellinus. The insect in question is called _Oxybelus unuglumis_, and is a very pretty species. Its length is seldom much more than a quarter of an inch, and its colour is black, with some silvery hair about the face, and with some spots and bands of white, more or less yellowish, upon the pointed abdomen. The male is usually smaller than the female, but compensates for this want of size by his more brilliant colouring.