360 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



they " were destroyed by a worm." Thus, also, in this case the parasites 

 appeared in the year following a general attack. 



Since these Torymids dwell on the tops of the forest trees in the moun 

 tains, I presume they still remain undescribed and unknown, and I take the 

 liberty of transmitting to you this material. 



If the seeds are opened in the fall the Megastigmus larva is still found 

 feeding on the germ of the seed, but in Torymid larvae this is frequently 

 the case after the host has been completely devoured, and no conclusions 

 should be drawn therefrom regarding an exclusively phytophagic habit. 



With the letter Mr. Berries sent an interesting series of speci 

 mens, duly lettered and numbered, as per the following list, 

 which I present as part of the communication ; the Roman nu 

 merals referring to the quills in which the specimens were sent: 



MEGASTIGMUS DALM. 



A. Very handsome species marked with black, red, and yellow. II and 

 V, from Abies magnified and concolor, somewhat smaller and paler; 

 III, from A. grandis, distinctly smaller, much paler; IV, from A. 

 amabilis, larger and darker. ^ and 9 of all varieties. 



y B. Entirely yellow species, also variable; perhaps two species mixed. 

 I, from Pseudotsuga douglasii, $ and 9 5 H> from Abies magnified ; 

 III, from A grdndis ; IV, from A. amabilis; V, from A. concolor. 

 \r C. Very small, dark species, very similar to small specimens of the 



European M. strobilobius. From Tsuga hookeriana, 2^9- 

 / D. Entirely black species from Japan. From Abies mariesi, 29$- 

 E. M. strobilobius Ratzeb. from Denmark, 5 9 ? (cT s ^^ unknown.) 



The species marked "A" is evidently Megastigmus pinus 

 Parfitt, while the other species are evidently undescribed. Mr. 

 Berries' communication reopens the interesting question as to 

 whether this genus Megastigmus is really phytophagic or not. 

 As I have always been deeply interested in the exceptional phy 

 tophagic habit of species or genera in essentially parasitic families, 

 I have looked into the literature on the subject, which may be 

 summed up as follows : 



Mr. Edward Parfitt, 4 Weirfield Place, St. Leonard's, Exeter, 

 England, February 10, 1857, m a snor t article entitled " Descrip 

 tion of a new Hymenopterous insect found amongst seeds of 

 various species of Pinus from California," published in The 

 Zoologist, Vol. XV, p. 5543, describes a species of Megastigmus 

 under the name of M. pinus, of which he savs : 



k ' The insect I am about to describe was found amongst the 

 seeds of Picea bracteata and a new species of Thuja, and in 

 Pinus nobilis, etc. The insect appears to be parasitic on some 

 species of Cynips ; at least I consider it to be so. I have several 

 pupas of the Cynips (if Cynips it be), but they are not far enough 



