THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 161 



Ichneumonince and Cryptince are the earliest to appear ; in fact, I have 

 taken many hibernating specimens of Ichneianoji and Amblyteles safely 

 stored away amid the frost, in some old rotten log or under loose bark. 



In collecting species of Ichneumofi, Cryptus and Ophionmce, I have 

 had my best success by collecting along a dense, moderately high hedge- 

 fence, and amongst bushes and low trees bordering a forest or a swamp. 

 A person will succeed much better if he will select one spot and watch 

 the specimens as they pass him, rather than to keep constantly on the 

 move. Sometimes better success will come from selecting several spots 

 not far from each other, and collecting alternately from each one. 



Three years ago this season I accidentally happened on a little ruse 

 that has since yielded me many rare specimens that otherwise I am sure 

 I should never have obtained. It is merely trampling down a few of the 

 bushes in some spot on the edge of the thicket where one wishes to 

 collect. As an Ichneumonid comes along, it will almost invariably make 

 a slight halt over or near the trampled vegetation. The halt, though 

 hardly noticeable, is sufficient for one to scoop the specimen with the 

 net. The rare Ichneumofi alboniarginatus, Cr., is such a shy and rapid 

 flyer that I was never able to capture one until this method was used. 

 The why of this method is probably explained by the fact that the bruised 

 plants give off a similar odour to what they would were they eaten by 

 some caterpillar, and the parasite halts to look for the cause of the odour. 



Late in the autumn, after frosts have killed the flowers, and larvoe 

 have mostly pupated, I have been very successful in collecting Try- 

 phonincE and other Ichneumonidce on a little isolated group of larches, 

 located on our college grounds. The parasites and wasps found some- 

 thing to feed upon that attracted them for at least two weeks. There 

 were no plant-lice to be found, and apparently it was the pitch or resin. 



The wingless Pezomachus I have most commonly found on herbaceous 

 plants in waste places. The best method of securing them is by sweeping. 

 A collector may have fair success in sweeping for other parasites, espe- 

 cially the smaller species, but generally his catch will consist mostly of 

 the commoner species. With a little practice, a collector will accustom 

 his eye so that he will readily spy even the minute Ichneumonids as they 

 approach him on the wing. Of course, rearing parasites is a very desirable 

 way of obtaining them, but we must both rear and collect if the greatest 

 progress is to be made. 



