_ THE HABITS OF MONODONTOMERUS. 97 
passage from the Proceedings of the Entomological Society*, printed in 1848, records the 
exhibition, by myself, at that time, of specimens of the Imago insect, reared from the 
larvee mentioned at p. 67, found on the 12th of September, 1847 :—* July 3rd, 1848. 
Mr. Newport exhibited a new species of the genus Monodontomerus, belonging to the 
family of the Chalcidide, reared from larvee which he had found in the nests of Antho- 
phora retusa. He proposed for it the name of M. nitidus." 
Thus my recent observations on Monodontomerus in its natural haunts, supported by 
further examination of the anatomy of its digestive organs (figs. 3 & 4), have fully 
confirmed my former opinions as regards the nature of the larva, that it is an external 
and not an internal feeding parasite, and that some remains of the destroyed bee-larva 
are always found in the cell. They confirm too the observation that the bee-nymph 
is preyed upon; as well as that the larva of Monodontomerus is carnivorous; but they do 
not support the statement, and the inference to be deduced from it, that “not a vestige” 
of the bee is left in the cell. Further, they give strength to the opinion I have advanced 
respécting the mode and time of introduction of the eggs of the parasite; viz. by perfora- 
on of the cell. The circumstance of the bee-nymph being preyed upon, as well as the 
_ larva, goes far to establish this, as in each instance the parasites with the nymph were 
scarcely more than one-half grown. This seems to show that they had been introduced, 
at the time of change, or at a very late period of the larva state. . There seems reason 
to believe also that the eggs are seldom conveyed into the cell until long after this has 
been closed, and consequently when the bee-larva within has far advanced in growth, as 
in no one instance could I discover a particle of the food of the larva. 
- Being desirous, however, of ascertaining facts by direct observation, rather than of 
arriving at views by inference, I placed, on the 17th of September, twenty of the most 
healthy middle-sized specimens of the larval Monodontomeri with a single larva of 4 Who: 
phora, in one division of a glass tube; and twenty smaller specimens, with a nymph of 
this bee, in another division of the same tube, separating the two sets with a piece of 
sponge, and closing the tube with acork. On the following day the parasites had arranged 
themselves with their heads towards the body of the larva, but they did not appear to have 
commenced their attack, probably from a cause which I shall presently mention. On the 
next day, however, the third of inclusion in the tube, I saw one individual ua m 
nymph, and in precisely the same way in which the larva of Paniscus ee en Sadi d 
by piercing the skin, and imbibing the fluid as it transudes. On the 22nd o " m er, 
the fifth day of inclusion, I was surprised to find that some of the specimens were c She 
colour, and looking unhealthy, and that not one of them appeared to be feeding. : : e 
following day the whole were slightly discoloured ; and, on very close inspection, t ^u 
: : i altitudes of little spherical bladder-like 
first noticed that their bodies were covered with multitu p 
j imi iew, to microscopic drops of fluid transuded through 
objects, exactly similar, at first view, ; à E 
punctures in the skin. My hope to follow out a series of observations on > 
now at an end, as it was evident to me that they were diseased and perishing. ; But I was 
à gan ee is failure, as at the time the specimens were 
Pog A INANEM TIR Fee the 24th September they were 
collected, the whole were perfectly healthy and strong. . On the , pun 
3 * Trans. Entomological Society, vol. v. part 5, 1848, p. 42. 
