308 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIOXAL MUSEUM. vol.52. 



palpi elongate; apex of the pronotum with large deep pits on each 

 side of the middle line, these united in one species; mesonotum with 

 well-developed parapsidal furrows, these often cronulato, at least in 

 the middle, the median lobe distinctly grooved longitudinally, the 

 lateral lobes more or less flattened; hind angles of the mesoscutum 

 usually produced into a vertically compressed plate, fingerlike in 

 one species; mosopleural furrow present, varymg in size and shape; 

 propodeimi coarsely areolate, with tlirce longitudinal ridges on each 

 side; spiracles of the propodeum oval; wings fuliginous, the second 

 cubital cell (areolot) four-sided, never triangular; legs long, rather 

 slender, middle tibiae usually, hind tibiae always, \\dth one or more 

 spines at the apex; at least the fore, usually the intermediate, and 

 often the hind tarsal claws cleft, if not cleft then broad and long- 

 toothed at the base; abdomen elongate, first segment long and 

 usually slender; ovipositor in general about as long as the abdomen, 

 sometimes a little shorter; colors, black, and various shades of red, 

 running to yellow. 



The genus as defined above includes 12 recognizable species from 

 America north of the Mexican border, of which number only one was 

 originally described as belonging in the genus, while two have been 

 transferred from the genus Agathis, and nine are described as new. 

 The specimens available for examination show that the species are 

 widely distributed over the whole of the United States, and it seems 

 probable that only lack of collections is responsible for the meager 

 Canadian records. 



EXTERNAL ANATOMY. 



The followmg rather brief account of the external anatomy, based 

 largely on a study of B. vulgaris, will make clear some of the struc- 

 tural characteristics not fully discussed in the specific descriptions: 



Head. — The head is hypognathous, transverse, and strongly pro- 

 duced below the eyes, usually longer from the apex of the clypeus to 

 the top of the lateral ocelli than the extreme width through the com- 

 pound eyes. The compound eyes are of medimn size, varying from a 

 little longer to a little shorter than the malar space, oval in shape, 

 with the back side flattened, as viewed from the side, semicircular m 

 outline with the inner side somewhat curved as viewed from above, 

 and half oval with the inner side slightly curved as viewed from in 

 front. They approach most closely to each other at a point a httle 

 below the antennal pits. The upper portion of the vertex is rounded 

 into the occiput behind and the face in front, except in the middle, 

 where it is strongly excavated on each side to form two pits for the 

 reception of the antennae. The lateral ocelli are placed on the apex 

 of the vertex, usually a little closer to each other than to the margins 

 of the compound eyes, and from them each antennal pit slopes 



