292 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1896. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO A KNOWLEDGE OF THE HYMENOPTERA OF BRAZIL. 



No. 1, SCOLIID^. 



BY WILLIAM J. FOX. 



The explorations of Herbert H. Smith have done more to extend 

 our knowledge of the insect fauna of Tropical America than those 

 of any other person, with the possible exception of the late Henry- 

 Walter Bates. His work in Mexico for the Biologla Centrali 

 Americana and for the West India Committee has given him an 

 extended reputation ; but it remains for tlie classifying of his 

 South American collections to show the real extent of his labors in 

 the field and forest. 



It has been my good fortune to have IMr. Smith's collection of 

 fossorial hymenoptera placed in my hands for identification and 

 study, and its size is indicated by the number of species contained 

 in the present paper on the Scoliidse, which includes no less than 

 thirty species, besides some half dozen species of the genus Tiphia, 

 which, in consequence of many faulty descriptions of South American 

 forms, I have been obliged to leave undetermined. 



In 1878-1875, Mr. Smith worked alone on the Amazons, and the 

 Santarem material was then gathered. In 1881-1886, accompanied 

 by his wife and two assistants, another journey was made. Going 

 first to Pant he and his wife made a flying trip to Santarem, and 

 then down the coast, stopping a week at Pernambuco and several 

 months at Rio de Janeiro ; from the latter place they went to Entre 

 Rios. Six months were spent in Rio Grande do Sul ; but there are 

 no hymenoptera in the collection from that place. By steamer 

 they proceeded up the Paraguay to Corumba and Cuyab^. Head- 

 quarters were established at Chapada,and there four years were spent. 

 Ad interim Mr. Smith returned to Rio de Janeiro for a year, leav- 

 ing his wife and one assistant in the interior. After finally leaving 

 Chapada they made a canoe journey on the Upper Paraguay to 

 Pedra de Amolas, Pacoval, etc., but most of the time was here given 

 to geological and ethnological work. Subsequently several weeks 

 were spent at Corumba and Piedra Blanca, before returning to the 

 United States. 



