312 HYMENOPTERA. 



the middle of the metanotum, yellow ; the base of the metanotum, two oblique marks 

 on the pleurae, a line in front of the scutellum, and the sternum more or less, black. 

 Abdomen yellow, the petiole (except at the apex), the basal half of the second segment 

 and the other segments at the base, fulvous. The anterior legs fulvous, inclining to 

 yellow in front. The middle legs fulvous ; the coxae in front, the tibiae and the tarsi in 

 front at the base, yellow ; the femora have a black line behind. The hind coxae and 

 femora are black, except that the former have a dark fulvous mark behind and the 

 latter are fulvous at the base and apex ; the hind tibiae are yellow, broadly black at 

 the apex; the hind tarsi yellow, fulvous at the tips of the joints. Areolet large, the 

 lateral nervures a little curved, not united at the top ; the recurrent nervure is received 

 in the basal third. 



Pam. BKACONID-E. 



The species of this extensive family inhabiting the Central and Southern regions of 

 America are hardly known, and even our knowledge of the species found in North 

 America is comparatively slight. The larger species only are known, the smaller and 

 more obscure forms not having been collected at all. Under these circumstances it is 

 impossible to say if the Braconidae are as numerously represented in the Neotropical 

 Region as they are in the Palaearctic. 



Division CYCLOSTOMI. 



This division contains those species which have a semicircular opening between the 

 clypeus and the mandibles. It has been divided by Forster (Verb. pr. Rhein. xix.) 

 into numerous subfamilies, but these are based on such slight characters that I have 

 in some cases not adopted them. Moreover to do so would necessitate, to carry out 

 his scheme consistently, the creation of some new divisions; and this I am not at 

 present prepared to do. The " Cyclostomi " contains some of the largest species in 

 the family, and is apparently very numerously represented in the Neotropical Region. 



Subfam. BEACONING. 



BRACON. 



Bracon, Fabricius, Syst. Piez. p. 102 (1804); Wesmael, Nouv. Mem. Acad. Brux. 1838, p. 7 ; 

 Forster, Verh. pr. Rhein. xix. p. 235. 



Bracon is not so numerously represented in our region as the closely allied genus 

 Iphiaulax, which is chiefly distinguished from it by having several transverse, usually 

 striated, furrows on the abdomen, that immediately behind the petiole being bifurcated 

 on either side. This latter character is the best mark of distinction, and it would be 

 difficult without it to say how the two are to be separated, for in some species the 



