1903.] 163 



entirely wanting ; the mesopleurje, generally flavous in part, are 

 sometimes immaculate ; the ]ironotum is occasionally flavous or bi- 

 maculate ; the tegulfe may bo flavous or castaneous ; the abdomen is 

 never quite black, though the extent of the rufous colouring is very 

 variable ; the femora are very rarely infuscate, almost always paler 

 at the extreme base, which is rarely quite white. The /ew-rZe varies very 

 slightly in having the usually entirely black abdomen rufescent at 

 the tbyridii and apical margin of the 2nd segment ; and its intermediate 

 femora are almost always nigrescent towards the base. 



The larva of Exetaxtes cinctipes is of the usual Ichneumonid type and has not, 

 I think, been yet described. It is ovate, deplanate, curved, primrose-yellow ; it 

 consists of 14 segments, of which the cephalic alone bears distinctive markings ; the 

 lateral lobes are discreted by a more or less distinctly impressed line above and 

 beneath, and bear concolorous spiracles ; I detect no palpi nor prolegs. The 

 cephalic segment is coriaceous ; the antennae are represented by two smooth and 

 hardly darker tubercles, behind each of which, at the inner orbit of the eye, is a 

 semilunar area of the same colour and glabrosity. The eyes in the fully fed larva 

 are represented by two subi-utaneous purple patches at the upper lateral base of 

 the cephalic segment. Two oblique and linear impressions run down from near 

 the antennae to the apex of the clypeus, which is piceous and extends laterally to 

 the bases of the mandibles ; the labruni, except at its circular apex (between the 

 apices of the mandibles), is not infuscate. The mandibles are very distinct, broad 

 and subquadrate, margined with piceous ; at the upper apex of each is an acuminate 

 slender, nigrescent tooth ; their bases are dark and corneous, extending some 

 distance backwards. The labium is subtriangular, situated in a subrectangular 

 impression below the centre of the mandibles. Length, 12 mm. 



These larvre usually emerge as imagines the following year; but two, received 

 in October, 1901, are still healthy larvee in May, 1903. 



The cocoon was described by De Geer* as oval, black and shining, but Van 

 Vollenhoven, instancing that of no particular species, more correctly describes it as 

 cylindrical, very long, rounded at both ends, dark coloured (sometimes black), 

 always dull, consisting of 3 or 4 layers of silk, gradually diminishing towards the 

 interior in consistence and in intensity of colour. To be precise, that of E. cinctipes 

 is about 16 mm. in length and 4^ in breadth, cylindrical, with the apices of equal 

 size and broadly rounded ; the outer cover is very stout, black, externally somewhat 

 dull and smooth with but faint traces of " silk," internally glabrous and very 

 shining ; within this and connected with it in no way is a second cocoon, testaceous- 

 brown with a slightly paler central band, of much thinner and more flimsy con- 

 sistency, resembling gold beater's skin ; and within this, again, is a third, also 

 detached and only slightly paler and thinner than the second cocoon ; over the o«^er 

 side of this last is a fourth entirely free one, which, however, covers but one half of 

 it (presumably the anal half, in which the pupal liquid is contained). I have seen 



• DeGeer's imagiiial description of the two sexes is particularly luoid, but his fig. 11 is poor, 

 representiijg the petiole .as distinct, and the abdommal segmentation is much too pronounced, 

 resembling that of Mesostenus obnoxius, Grav. 



