Page:VCH Essex 1.djvu/138

 A HISTORY OF ESSEX been having a very good time, for while its old settlements have been considerably extended many new ones have been formed ; it provisions its nest with bees of the genus Ha/ictus, and may often be seen dragging its victims down its burrows in trodden paths in the late summer. It is a handsome insect with bright yellow markings, but in 1899 an example was captured near Donyland Heath in which the yellow was replaced by white. This is apparently a very rare if not an altogether unique form. Cerceris quadricincta has only been reported from Kent and Essex. At Colchester it seems to be mainly an urban insect, for it forms its burrows in the public streets, where, owing to alterations, two colonies have been destroyed recently ; it is very partial to mignonette flowers. Oxybelus mucronatus has occurred at Alresford, where a single specimen was found in 1900. In the extensive genus Crabro, C. tibialis, C. clampes and C. capitosus are occasionally noticed ; and the very rare C. signatus has been taken at Colchester and St. Osyth, where C. lituratus is also to be found in favour- able seasons, for it does not occur regularly. This seems to be a very local species, as it has rarely been recorded from other parts of the country. The Hornet (Ye spa crabrd) cannot be called a rarity, but is neither common or generally distributed. Probably it was much commoner formerly than it is now, as the violent antipathy which exists against it in the rustic mind leads to its speedy extirpation when it can be attacked with impunity. It may not be generally known that this powerful insect sometimes carries on its operations by night as well as by day, and occa- sionally comes freely to ' sugar ' placed on the trees to attract moths. V. norvegica is a much scarcer insect in this part of the country, but has been found at St. Osyth, and in 1893 a nest was discovered in a thick hedge at Lexden. In the genus Odynerus several good species occur, including O. crassicornis, of which only two recent British examples are known, and O. reniformis, which has only been reported from two other localities in Surrey. O. fictus, O. melanocephalus and O. gracilis are also far from common species. Among the bees Colletes succincta is worthy of notice. In other parts of the country it seems to frequent heath flowers, but with us it is exclusively a coast species, and confines itself to the flowers of maritime plants, the sea holly and starwort being especial favourites. Extensive colonies exist at several places between the Colne and Stour, and the males have a curious habit of congregating together late in the afternoon on flower heads of the marram grass, ragwort and other plants, where they form dense masses that are often conspicuous at a distance. Occa- sionally a female may be found among them, but this is exceptional. Prosopis pictipes, though* usually regarded as scarce and local, has been found rather freely on several occasions in a garden at Colchester in flowers of geranium and campanula. The red bodied genus Sphecodes is well represented, S. rubicundus, S. spinulosus, S. puncticeps and the rare 100