ino- them with such beautiful and effulgent colours, that our asto- 

 nisliment and admiration are equally awakened on contemplating 

 them. Latreille supposes this splendoiu' may dazzle their enemies 

 and so Iticilitate their escape; and this superb armour with which 

 they are covered, surpassing any that we have ever read of even in 

 romance, appears to be impenetrable and quite equal to resist on 

 every side the weapons of an assailant, — nevertheless they seem to 

 be timid ; for on touching them they roll themselves up into a 

 ball, conscious, apparently, that their armour is their best defence. 

 They seem to be supplied with this coat of mail to make amends 

 for their weak sting, which being placed at the extremity of a long 

 telescopic-formed oviduct is only able to pierce soft bodies; this 

 flexible tube they can extend to a very great length : I have seen 

 it reach the base of the anterior wings. 



Latreille has very judiciously divided the Chrysididae into seven 

 genera, five of which are British ; but Jurine having founded his 

 groups upon the form of the cells of the wings, has not adopted 

 them. 



Our species of Chrysis may be thus divided. 



* Apex of abdomen producing 4 spines. 



1. C. ignita Linn. Faun. >S«ec. 414. 1665. — Don. Brit. Ins. v.l.pl. 7. — Panz. 5. 22. 

 Length from 2 to 7 lines. Yellow or blue green, shining, clothed with 

 soft upright gray hairs, thickly and coarsely punctured : antennae velvety 

 black, excepting the 2 basal joints which are green : head more or less 

 purple or blue on the crown, collar with a spot in the centre and an elon- 

 gated mark on each side, of the same colour : thorax variegated with pur- 

 ple also : abdomen effulgent, golden crimson, sometimes green on the 

 sides and violaceous on the back, down the two first joints of which there 

 is an elevated line ; the punctation is generally very coarse at the base, 

 fine on the sides and sometimes very minute, thick or vanishing towards 

 the apex which is crenated, forming 4 teeth, much more acute in the 

 males than females ; nearly at the base of them is a semicircular row of 

 from 14 to 18 deep punctures : wings stained brown, nervures piceous : 

 legs green : tarsi velvety black : ovipositor frequently exserted, brownish 

 ochre, the terminal plate of the abdomen beneath generally black. 



This is one of the most variable insects in size, colour, and sculp- 

 ture, and I have little doubt but a considerable number of the fol- 

 lowing species are nothing more than extreme varieties. 



The head and thorax are bright green of various hues, variegated 

 with deep blue or purple, sometimes entirely of a fine chalybeous 

 colour; the body resembles the brightest gold, reflecting most lovely 

 imts ot crimson or violet, sometimes eneous or cupreous, and more 

 or less encircled with a beautiful yellow green ; the ridge on the 

 back of the body sometimes extends nearly to the apex, the punc- 

 tures are in some thick and coarse, in others innumerable and mi- 

 nute, and again almost vanishing : the teeth at the apex are also 

 much less developed in some than in others. 



This msect is distributed over the whole country, and is seen 



2 



