Order HYMENOPTERA. 



In this order the adults have four transparent wings with compara- 

 tively few veins and cells, the anterior larger than the posterior, the two 

 pairs hooked together in flight, naked or clothed with fine hair, never 

 with scales. The mouth parts are mandibulate, the tongue often devel- 

 oped into a longer or shorter lapping organ. The ovipositor is quite 

 usually modified into a sting, an auger, a saw or a drill depending upon 

 the habits of the insect. The metamorphosis is complete. 



This order contains the bees, wasps, ants, saw-flies, ichneumon flies, 

 etc., etc., and is a mixture of beneficial and injurious species, with the 

 former largely in the majority. Since the publication of the previous 

 edition much has been added to our knowledge of this order, and some 

 of the groups have been very thoroughly collected in New Jersey. 



The general arrangement of the list is by Mr. Henry L. Viereck, of the 

 U. S. National Museum, who has practically reversed the arrangement 

 proposed by the late Dr. Ashmead, placing the saw-flies at the head rather 

 than the foot of the series, and in general modifying the order of the 

 species within the families in accordance with later studies. Mr. Viereck 

 has added not only many new records, but much information as to food 

 habits of parasitic species, and in general he is to be credited with such 

 notes as are not strictly economic or otherwise credited. 



In the ant families Dr. Wm. Morton Wheeler, of Harvard University, 

 has been good enough to prepare the list, and the information as to these 

 interesting species is unusually full. In the gall-flies Mr. Wm. Beuten- 

 muller, of the American Museum of Natural History, has written the list, 

 and this portion also is exceptionally complete. 



In the Chalcids Mr. J. C. Crawford, of the U. S. National Museum, has 

 arranged the species to bring the series into accord with his studies. The 

 problem of just what to include in this list among the parasites has been 

 rather a difficult one. Many of the species are small or very small, and 

 some forms are never obtained except by actually breeding them out of 

 their host species. The conclusion finally reached was to include those 

 species that had been bred out of forms occurring not rarely within the 

 State, and in localities that rendered occurrence in New Jersey almost a 

 certainty. A large number of species listed in this way in, the last edition 

 have been fully authenticated in the present. It is belived that the addi- 

 tion of these species will stimulate search and study, and I fully expect 

 that nearly all will be actually found within the next decade. 



A few names in the last edition will not be found in this, either because 

 the species has proved to be so distributed that its occurrence in New 

 Jersey is not to be expected or because, as in some of Dr. Ashmead's 

 species, the names were never sanctioned by actual description. A few 

 of the mss. names are included, however, to call attention to the occur- 

 rence of a species and their status is noted. 



In the saw-flies Prof. Alex. D. MacGillivray has looked over the manu- 

 script and has added information and suggestions. 



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