PREFACE. VU 



tunity of extending my studies on the Wasps offered itself when 

 the Smithsonian Institution was pleased to commission me to 

 establish the fauna of the Ilymenoptera of North America. I 

 was already in possession of numerous materials for the drawing 1 

 up of such a work. I had brought from that continent considerable 

 collections, the fruits of my explorations in West India, Mexico, 

 and the United States. I had likewise acquired collections of 

 Ilymenoptera in my passage through this latter country, of Mr. 

 Rath von (Lancaster, Pa.), Mr. Fuch (Tennessee), and others. 

 Prof. Haldemann kindly made me a present of the remnants of 

 his splendid collection, unfortunately almost destroyed. To these 

 materials which I had got together as I weut along, there came 

 to be added later, the collections which the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion forwarded me from different regions of the "United States. 1 

 But I owe a special mention to my friend Mr. Edw. Norton, of 

 Farmington, Connecticut, an excellent entomologist, w T ho afforded 

 me the most valuable assistance for the work to which these 

 lines serve as an introduction, and who with extreme kind- 

 ness offered to undertake the translation of this volume himself. 

 Finally, I have, moreover, received some parcels of insects direct 

 from divers friends, especially from Tennessee, from Engineur de 

 Freudenreich Falconnet, Engineer on the Nashville Railroad, 

 and since then Major in the Confederate Army; from California, 

 through Mr. Berton, Swiss trader at St. Francisco, and by Mr. 

 Sutter. 



Notwithstanding all these contributions, the collections which 

 I myself brought from America still form the staple of my mate- 

 rials ; but these subsequent additions are very useful complements. 

 I, therefore, avail myself of this opportunity to thank publicly 



1 Hymenoptera from Rock Island, South Illinois, collected by Kennicott. 

 " " from Illinois, collected by Walsh. 

 " " from Lake Superior, collected by L. Agassiz. 

 " " from Williamstown, Massachusetts, collected by S. H. 



Scudder. 

 " " of the Cape St. Lucas, California, collected by John 



Xantus. 



'' " from Rio Peros River, collected by Capt. Pope, U. S. A., 



and various other Hymenoptera collected at Fort 



Tejon, California; English River, etc. 



The first five collections had been formed by individuals in the interest 



of science; the others by explorations carried on by order of government. 



