OF ACULEATE HTMENOPTEEA. 123 



be quoted ; this species occurs in Northern India, in Madras, 

 Borneo, Bachian, Dory, Mysol, and in Australia. 



The majority of the species belonging to the genus Ehyncliiuvi are 

 tropical. The R. kcemorrhoidale, first recorded as an Indian species, 

 has occurred in Malacca, Singapore, Java, throughout the Eastern 

 Archipelago, and also at the Cape of Good Hope ; an examination 

 of examples from these various localities shows a great variation in 

 the colour of the insect in difierent situations, and at the same 

 time how constant those varieties are to the countries in which 

 they are found : Indian examples are black, with the legs, antennae 

 and tip of the abdomen red ; in Gilolo not only are the same parts 

 red, but the head and prothorax are of the same colour ; specimens 

 from Bachian have scarcely any trace of red, some being almost 

 or entirely black : the most highly coloured examples are found at 

 Amboyna and Ternate ; these have the head, entire thorax, the tip 

 of the abdomen, and the margins of all the segments red. Nume- 

 rous instances might be adduced in order to show that, amongst 

 the Vespidse, bright or sombre colouring is not to be regarded as 

 a character of much value when we endeavour to ascertain the 

 limit of a species ; form and sculpture alone can be relied upon for 

 that purpose. 



The genus Odynerus is of universal distribution. In Arctic 

 America, in Europe, throughout both North and South America, 

 in Asia, in Africa, and in Australia these solitary wasps are abun- 

 dant. Nineteen new species will be found in the tabular list of 

 species from the Eastern Archipelago. 



Amongst the Vespidae, the species of the genus Ischnogaster have 

 hitherto been of very rare occurrence ; our list will show that 

 seven new species have been discovered, — only four having been 

 previously known — two from Java, one from New Guinea, and one 

 from Cayenne. Previous to Mr. Wallace's captures, not a single 

 example existed in any collection in this country. The metropolis 

 of the genus would appear to be the islands of the Eastern Ar- 

 chipelago. 



To the erratic genus Vespa no great addition of species could 

 well be expected : four new ones will be found in the table ; these 

 added to the previously recorded species from the East make the 

 number twenty-two from that quarter. The genus becomes rare 

 as we approach the equator from the north ; the island of Java is, 

 apparently, its limit south of the line. The genus has not been 

 found in New Guinea or Australia, neither has it occurred in 



