OF WASHINGTON. 207 



arrangement of the Lepidoptera in the National Museum, only 

 the}' are much more cheaply made, being of white pine, and 

 costing, with glass cover, but five marks ($1.25). 



The Lepidoptera begin with the Papilionida and end with 

 the Tineidce, and fill many hundred cases, the species being 

 from all parts of the world ; those from Madagascar, Africa, 

 and Brazil being especially handsome and the most gorgeous I 

 have ever seen. 



The collection had been greatly increased recently by the 

 Peter Maassen collection, valued at several thousand dollars. 

 It contained many rare North American species, besides all the 

 types described by Maassen and Weyner in their recent beauti 

 ful work, " Lepidopteren gessammelt auf einer Reise durch 

 Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brasilien, Argentinien und Bolivien 

 in den Jahren, 1868 '77, von Alphons Stiibel." 



The Hymenoptera are well represented, except in the families 

 Chalcidida and Proctotrypidtz, although I found some very in 

 teresting forms among them. All of Klug's types are here, 

 and many from Westwood, Mali day, Walker, Forster, and 

 others. 



I saw a 9 Dichthadia glaberrima Gerst. pinned with a $ 

 Dorylus, evidently captured in coitn, and proving these are 

 sexes of the same species. Dichthadia is a large wingless ant, 

 not unlike Thynnus, and I think the females of our Labidus 

 will yet be found to be something similar, and not the female 

 ant Eciton, as suggested by Dr. Mayr. 



Two species of the genus Megalyra seen here and described 

 from New Holland, lead me to differ from the authorities in 

 placing it with the Evaniidce. It appears to me to be a Bra- 

 conid, exhibiting strong affinities with the Oryssidce. 



Among the unnamed material in the Chalcididse and Procto- 

 trypidae, it was my good fortune to recognize some very rare 

 and interesting species, only a few of which can be mentioned 

 here. 



I found Chalcis denticornis Fonsc. placed as the 9 of Hippota 

 pectinicornis Labr., recognized Thysanus atertt&l., Tetracnemus 

 diversicornis Westw., and Hybothorax Graffii Ratzeb. T. diver- 

 sicornis Westw. has not before been reported on the continent, 

 while H, Graffii Ratz. is not in the British Museum. Kirby, 

 in speaking of the genus Hybothorax, in his revision of the 

 subfamily Chalcidinse, says : 



' ' Further observations are much wanted on this curious 

 genus, which is parasitic on Myrmeleon ; the peculiar form 

 of its metathorax might appear to indicate some affinity to 

 Dirrhinus, but it is difficult to form any opinion in the absence 

 of either specimen or figure. ' ' The genus is, however, nearer 

 to Halticella, but is easily distinguished from it by the lateral 



