26 Mr. Marsh am'/ Obfervatlom on 



fight bordering on fagacity, in finding a fuitable fituation for 

 depofiting its own eggs, and alfo rendering futile and abortive the 

 labour and fagacity of another animal, who, to all appearance, had 

 rendered its offspring perfectly fecure. 



Ichneumon manifestator, Corpore atro immaculato, abdomine 

 Tab. 4. f. 1. femli cylindrico, pedibus rufis. 



On the 9th of June 1787, I difcovered this infect fettling on the 

 top of an old pod, as I was walking in Kenfington gardens, and its 

 peculiar appearance and extraordinary actions led me to obferve it 

 attentively. It moved rapidly over the top of the poft, having its 

 antenna? bent in the form of an arch, and with a ftrong vibratory 

 motion feeling about until it came to a hole made by fome infect, into 

 which it thrufr. its antennae quite to the head, Jig. 1. It remained 

 a minute at lead in this fituation apparently very bufy, and then 

 drawing out its antennae came round to the exactly oppofite fide of 

 the hole, again thruft in its antennae, and remained nearly the fame 

 time. It next proceeded to one fide of the hole, repeating the 

 operation, the antenna? quivering in a fbrprifing manner; and 

 having now again drawn out its antennae, turned about, and, dex- 

 teroufly meafuring a proper diftance, threw back its abdomen over 

 the head and thorax, at the fame time projecting its long and de- 

 licate tube into the hole {fig. 3) ; which when it had accomplished, 

 it brought its body into a direct perpendicular fituation, the two 

 iheaths of the tube {landing directly upright, as did the abdomen, 

 while the tube itfelf proceeded from the anus down the under fide 

 of the abdomen into the hole. After remaining near two minutes 

 in this pofture it drew out the tube, turned round and again applied 

 its antennas to the hole for nearly the fame time as before, and alfo 

 inferted the tube in the fame dexterous way. This operation was 

 1 repeated. 



