84 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



stages of the act of ovipositing. The tree was a large one, about two feet 

 in diameter, from which the top had been broken off at a height of thirty 

 or forty feet. The rugged bark was dotted all over with lunators, often 

 massed in rows or patches, so that there must have been several hundred 

 upon the tree, forming an unusual and most interesting spectacle. The 

 great majority were females, but a number of males were also present. 

 While I was consigning to ray bottle a few specimens, a large woodpecker 

 settled upon the opposite side of the tree and began to rapidly thin the 

 ranks of the helpless insects, whose mission, like that of the woodpecker, 

 is the destruction of wood-boring larvae. 



A year later, being in the same locality, I visited this tree and found 

 again a number of ichneumons engaged in the performance of their duty, 

 and also saw sticking out of the bark many expositors which had belonged 

 to unfortunate visitors of the previous summer. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PREPARATORY STAGES OF DEBIS 



PORTLANUIA, Fabr. 



BY W. H. EDWARDS, COALBURGH, W. VA. 



Egg. — Obovoid, the base a little flattened, and under the middle 

 thereof is a slight rounded protuberance of lesser diameter ; surface 

 smooth ; color greenish-white. Duration of this stage 4 to 6 days. 



Young Larva. — Length .13 inch; cylindrical; head twice as broad 

 as any other segment, body tapering slightly from 2 to 13 ; each segment 

 from 3 to 12 several times creased, making 6 flat ridges, of which the 

 foremost one is broadest, and on this and the fifth ridge each is a minute 

 tubercle and rather long white hair, bent forward, the whole series forming 

 two subdorsal rows, one a little below the other, from 3 to '13 ; on the 

 middle of side a similar row, one hair to each segment and placed on the 

 second ridge, all of them bent forward ; lower down a third series, one to 

 each segment, placed on the fourth ridge, all bent down and back ; two 

 short hairs over each pro-leg ; on segment 2 are four long hairs on each 

 side, nearly in line, two being subdorsal, the others lateral; on 13 are 

 four hairs in cross fow, all curved back, and* one on either side behind 

 these ; this segment is roundly excavated at extremity, making on either 



