174 [August, 



known species by the subgeneric characters, the ^ having the 

 antennae formed as in the subgenus Ancistrocerus, but in neither sex 

 is there a raised transverse line between the two faces of the basal 

 abdominal segment. The British examples show little or no variation 

 in colour, having four abdominal bands in either sex, the basal one 

 not dilated at the sides, and the superficial appearance is very like 

 that of O. picftis. Immediately beneath the post-scutellum the 

 propodeum has on either side a short tooth or projection. The Rev. 

 P. D. Morice, who most kindly identified the species and compared a 

 Bristol with Continental examples, informs me that only three species 

 (the other two being O. pubescens and 0. innumeraliUs, which are 

 marked with yellow on the post-scutellum) have the propodeum 

 formed as in 0. tomentosus. In his "Synopsis" Mr. Saunders remarks 

 that he has an example of Leionotus without locality label, which may 

 be British, but he does not mention the species. There is no doubt 

 that Walcott's specimens are British, and they were probably taken 

 near Bristol. Some of the examples bear labels marked May 28tb, 

 1841, and on the same day also 0. pictus was collected, so they were 

 probably found together. 



Eaglan, Mon. : 



May 5ih, 1900. 



HELCON ANNULICORNIS, Nebs, CONFIRMED AS BRITISH. 

 BY CLAUDE MORLEY, F.E.S., <fec. 



On July 5th, 1899, I took a ? example of this distinct Braconid 

 in Brantham "Dale," Suffolk. It was slowly walking along, and 

 systematically tapping with its antennae, a thin dead twig of ivy, 

 encircling a new oak rail, the uppermost of a fence recently erected 

 between two low-lying meadows, through which a small stream flows 

 from Bentley to the river Stour. The spot is quite a mile from the 

 nearest cottage and there is no timber yard for a much greater 

 distance. 



The species was thus first described by Nees ab Esenbeck 

 (Hymen. Ichn. Afiln. Mon. [1834] i, 231), who only knew the ? : — 

 " Ater nitidissimus ; abdominis sublinearis primo segmento acute 

 bicarinato ; pedibus rufis, coxis trochanteribusque anterioribus tibiis 

 tarsisque posticis nigris, his medio albis ; femoribus posticis uniden- 

 tatis. Eem. annulo antennarum albo." Marshall says the length of 

 the $ is five lines and of its wings nine lines. My example is only 

 just over four lines and its wings are nearly eight lines. 



