OF WASHINGTON. . 275 



quite plain that the species is normally single-brooded in this lat 

 itude. On the other hand, a pair of adults, without doubt of the 

 new brood, was taken in copula as late as July 26, from which 

 was obtained a mass of ten eggs on the following day. Thus it 

 is probable that in the southernmost limit of the species we may 

 sometimes have produced an exceptional second generation in one 

 year. This is of interest as the number of yearly generations of the 

 elm-leaf species has been the subject of considerable controversy, 

 the outcome being that careful observations by Professors Smith 

 and Riley in the latitudes of northern New Jersey and the Dis 

 trict of Columbia, respectively, have developed the fact that for 

 that species in the former locality about the same condition of 

 affairs in regard to generations obtains as in the golden-rod species 

 here, whereas in the latter locality two, three, and exceptionally 

 four broods of larvae have been noted (see Proc., vol. II, pp. 



3 6 4-3 6 5> 



The life-history of G. americana, according to my observa 

 tions, may be summed up about as follows : The hibernated 

 adults may be seen towards the end of April, or soon after the 

 foliage of the Solidago appears, and egg-laying continues at 

 least throughout the month of May. The larvae attain full growth 

 by the end of May. The pupal stage occupies a week and the 

 inactive stage of the mature larva and newly-bred adult consumes 

 another week. About the middle of June the adults leave the 

 pupal case and, after feeding for several days, perhaps weeks, 

 leave the plants and begin hibernation. In this locality, at least, 

 this beetle feeds only on Solidago and has thus far been found to 

 feed only on a single species oj: this genus. 



Mr. Ashmead read the following : 



LYSIOGNATHA, A NEW AND REMARKABLE GENUS IN THE 

 ICHNEUMONID^E. 



By WILLIAM H. ASHMEAD. 



Among a lot of miscellaneous parasitic Hymenoptera, princi 

 pally Braconidae, sent me for determination by Prof. J. Henry 

 Comstock, of Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., through his 

 assistant, Mr. Alexander MacGillivray, I found a most anoma 

 lous ichneumonid, represented in both sexes, having the head and 

 jaws similar to an Alysiine in the Braconidae, but otherwise, in 

 venation and abdominal characteristics, agreeing with many forms 

 found in the family Ichneumonidae. 



This singular insect at first was very perplexing to classify, 

 but, after a thorough study of all its characters, I am convinced 



