380 Entomological Works, 



or, at least, they are deposited within the insect in those stages 

 of its existence, and, consequently, in an indefensive state. 

 But here, where the food only (which is stored up as a pro- 

 vision for the young) is the object of attack, and the maternal 

 solicitude of the parent insect for the nurture of her offspring 

 is rendered fruitless by the presence of an interpolator secretly 

 deposited, it required all the sagacity of the insect introducing 

 her intrusive progeny to evade the instinctive apprehension of 

 the laborious mother; and nature has furnished additional 

 means to foil the latter, in the parasite's resemblance to 

 herself." 



The work comprises that portion of the aculeated Hy- 

 menoptera which Latreille termed Fossores ; to which Mr. 

 Shuckard has judiciously added the Mutillidae of Leach, 

 which he thus virtually separates from the Heterogyna of 

 Latreille, of which the ants formed the remaining portion. 

 The descriptions, both of the genera and species, are carefully 

 worked out; the latter generally occupying, with its synonymes, 

 a page for each species. The recent works of Saint Fargeau 

 and Vander Linden, &c, have been consulted ; but the author 

 does not cite the memoirs of Dahlbom upon the Swedish 

 Fossores. We could have wished that, in the mode of printing 

 the specific characters, synonymes, &c, the oldfashioned 

 method had been adopted : there is no better guide in such 

 matters than Fabricius, or Kirby's Monograph. Three new 

 genera are introduced : Celia (Stigmus trogl6dytes V. D. L.) 9 

 Passalce N cus (Diodontus gracilis Curtis, &c), and Mimesa 

 (Psen equestris, &c). It will be necessary, however, to 

 change the first of these names, Celia being employed by 

 Zimmerman for a genus of Harpalidae. The generic name 

 Liris must also be substituted for Tachytes, having been im- 

 posed two years previously by Fabricius. 



Many new species of sand-wasps are described, the author 

 having had access to all the metropolitan cabinets, including 

 that of Mr. Stephens. Hence, it is to be regretted that we find 

 in the catalogue of the latter many species indicated under 

 old Fabrician and Panzerian names, which Mr. Shuckard 

 has entirely omitted. For instance, under Aporus Mr. Ste- 

 phens gives 2 species; 1st, A. bicolor, described by Mr. 

 Shuckard, and, 2d, A. unicolor of Spinola, which is stated 

 to be in the British Museum, but which Mr. Shuckard 

 entirely omits, unless it be the female of A. bicolor, which 

 the latter says is in the cabinets of Stephens and the British 

 Museum : but in this case we think Mr. Shuckard was bound 

 to have shown that this was Mr. Stephens's, although not 

 Spinola's, A. unicolor. 



