PREFACE. 



The study of the Hymenoptera of our country has not kept pace 

 with some of the other oi'ders from the want of an introductory work 

 in our own hino-uasce. Westwood's invakiable " Introduction to the 

 Modern Ckissification of Insects," while partly supi^lying the want, 

 is insufficient, and at the present expensive and difficult to obtain. 

 The want is especially felt by those who have not access to large 

 scientific libraries, and many are discouraged from attempting the 

 studv by the difficulties and expense of acquiring the necessary litera- 

 ture, with the added difficulties of the foreign languages. 



The writer has been frequently appealed to and requested to indi- 

 cate such books as will enable a beginner to separate even the fami- 

 lies and genera. The impossibility of obtaining any works in the 

 English language, and the almost equally hopeless chance of deter- 

 mining the species, have doubtless deterred many from aiding in the 

 development of the study of probably the most interesting order of 

 insects. 



Other extensive orders, as the Coleoptera and Le])id()ptera, have 

 numerous votaries from the aids furnished by elementary works on 

 classification, and until similar assistance is given, very little [)rogi'ess 

 can be expected in the study of the Hymenoptera, notwithstanding 

 the fa(;t that there is no order of insects more extensive and varied 

 in structure, and certainly none more interesting in the habits of its 

 members. Students are so few, in fact, that the greater part of the 

 material collected together in the larger families has been very im- 

 perfectly studied, and our knowledge of the characters is very in- 

 complete, so that years of careful study will be necessary before a 

 classification can be produced that will be approximately comjilete. 



As a step in that direction, however, it has been suggested that the 

 publication of a series of synoptics ttibles giving the leading charac- 

 ters, as far as known, of the families and genera, would prove a great 

 aid to the student and possibly in<luce many to collect and study 

 these interestin<>- creatures. 



