226 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



event. On the ist I found one upon the plank-walk of one of our streets, 

 and on the 9th a second under some maples bordering another street. 

 The following day I went specially to visit some old maples which are a 

 favorite resort of these insects, and captured upon one of them a female 

 in the act of ovipositing, while upon the same tree were the bodies of 

 three or four which had evidently very recently perished in the perform- 

 ance of such act. In another tree were a number of holes from which 

 specimens had apparently but lately emerged. Although this species is 

 so common, I have not yet captured a male (nor even seen one except in 

 a collection), yet Dr. Harris, if I remember correctly, describes them as 

 swarming around the ovipositing females. I may here add that on the 

 30th Sept. I saw one of their chief enemies, viz., a fine female Rhyssa 

 lunator Fab. , flying actively about. 



5. Urocerus nitidus Harris. The abdomen of this species terminates 

 in a triangular point like that of the preceding one, and very unlike the 

 long spear-shaped horns of the two following The females agree in nearly 

 all respects with that described by Kirby (see vol. ix., page 148) as Sirex 

 juvencus Linn., but the antennae are longer than the head and thorax, 

 instead of " shorter than the thorax." Harris describes it, however, as 

 differing "from the European U. juvencus in the much greater brilliancy 

 of its color and in having shorter antennae." The female is a handsome 

 insect of a deep greenish-blue color ; the head and thorax rough and 

 hairy, but the abdomen smooth and glossy ; the antennae are black and 

 the legs yellow. Harris states that the males are unknown, but I have 

 been so fortunate as to secure several. The head, antennae, thorax and 

 four anterior legs resemble those of the female. The posterior pair of 

 legs are much swollen, and are black, with the exception of the thighs. 

 The abdomen is flattened ; the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh segments 

 are of a deep orange, or reddish-yellow color, and the last segment is less 

 sharply pointed than that of the female. This species appears to be most 

 abundant in the latter part of Sept. and the beginning of Oct., during 

 which period I captured ten females and three males, as follows : Sept. 

 2ist, female; 23rd, male and female; 24th, female; 26th, female; 29th, 

 2 female; 30th, female; Oct. ist, male; 2nd, male and female; 8th, 

 female ; i8th, female. I have also two males of which the date of cap- 

 ture is not recorded. They were taken about the beginning of Sept. The 

 females measure from three-fourths of an inch to one and one-eighth 



