Feb., '05] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 47 



to the egg or the larva, and evidently obtaining a small amount 

 of food, as is shown by its very slow growth. These sucking 

 movements are performed in a characteristic manner. The 

 parasite brings its mouth-parts in contact with the surface of 

 the egg or the young larva, and sucks for a few moments, 

 whereupon it releases its hold with a jerky upward movement of 

 the head and crawls forward a short distance to repeat the same 

 performance. As already stated, the bee's egg shows no ill 

 effects whatever, it produces a normal bee larva, and the latter 

 partakes of its food-supply, and thrives as well as any other 

 bee larva. A remarkable feature is the tolerance displayed by 

 the bee larva towards the small parasite crawling around on its 

 body and sapping its juices. The bee larva keeps on feeding 

 and does not seem to be inconvenienced in the least by the pres- 

 ence of the parasite. On one occasion the latter was observed 

 to take up a position on the side and within easy reach of the 

 mandibles of the bee larva. It might have been destroyed 

 with but little effort on the part of the bee larva, but nothing 

 of the kind happened. 



The parasitic larva increases very gradually in size, especi- 

 ally during the first 4 or 5 days of its life, but at the age of 

 about 8 days it makes a serious attack on the half grown Cera- 

 tina larva, killing it, and sucking its contents. This brings 

 about a rapid growth of the parasite. It soon invades a 

 neighboring cell, destroys the bee larva therein, and occasion- 

 ally raids 3 or 4 cells in the same w r ay. At the age of about 13 

 days it is ready to spin its cocoon, and for this purpose it 

 makes use of the space occupied by 2 or 3 of the broken up 

 cells. The cocoon is hurriedly and lightly constructed, and is 

 not protected by any plug-like partitions as in the case of (h <>/i 

 anguina. About 6 days later pupation takes place, and at the 

 end of ii more days the perfect insect emerges. So that the 

 entire development from the appearance of the larva to that of 

 the imago is accomplished within 30 days on the average. 

 From the 6 nests under observation 4 perfect insects were bred. 



REVIEW. 



Although these two parasites represent two distinct types of 

 Ichneumonidse, one being a Pituplinc and the other a Crvpfii/c, 



