1830.] 41 



Torymus caudatus, Boh., Yet. Ac. Handl., 1833, p. 365, sec. Thorns., 

 Hymen. ScancL, iv, 84, 6, has been sent me by Mr. J. E. Fletcher, who 

 reared it from fir cones collected in the hopes of rearing Coccyx 

 strobilana. Mayr (/. <?., p. 100) considers caudatus to be a variety of 

 azureus, Boh., in which opinion I am inclined to agree with him, for 

 the two forms {azureus and caudatus) appear to merge together when 

 we examine a large number of specimens, while they both frequent fir- 

 cones. T. azureus is the form which I recorded Trans. Ent. Soc, 1879, 

 p. 119. It has the ovipositor shorter than in caudatus, and generally 

 the colour is violet and not obscure green, as in the last mentioned. 

 Thomson regards them as two distinct species. 



I find that these insects are much better examined by setting 

 them on silver wire than by carding them, as is usually done in this 

 country. Not only are much better results obtained by this method, 

 but much time is saved the student, the sticking of a wire through an 

 insect taking up far less time than spreading out its legs, wings, &c, 

 by means of needles and gum on cardboard ; while, not unfrequently 

 by the latter method, unless great care be taken to display the various 

 parts, the form of the joints of the antennae and legs cannot satisfac- 

 torily be made out ; it may be owing to the employment of too much 

 gum, or to the parts not being displayed sufficiently. The method is 

 very simple. All that is required is to get silver wire* of the thickness 

 required, cut it up in lengths (say 4 lines each), taking care to cut off 

 the points as obliquely as possible ; stick one of these through the 

 thorax of your insect ; then insert the wire with the insect on it in a 

 piece of pith (that of the Jerusalem artichoke will do), which may 

 hold only one insect or several, according to taste ; finally, place an 

 ordinary pin through the piece of pith, and, by means of it, stick the 

 whole in the cabinet. If all this be done properly, no part of the 

 insect need be disturbed, which would certainly be the case if ordinary 

 pins be employed for the smaller species. 



I do not, however, mean to say, that carding has no advantages. 

 The above remarks refer only to Chalcididce. I have not succeeded so 

 well with Oxyura and parasitic Cynipidce, owing to their much harder 

 and smoother bodies ; these insects are not easily pinned, the wire 

 generally slipping off, while the successive attempts to insert it usually 

 lead to the destruction of the insect. Such, at any rate, has been my 

 experience ; but no doubt, with greater experience, the difficulty might 

 be got over. My views on the comparative advantages of carding and 

 pinning Hymenoptera I have stated elsewhere (Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. 

 Glasg., 1877, p. 144), so I need not refer to the subject here. 

 Glasgow : May, 1880. 



Silver wire of any thickness may be had from Corney & Co., 70, Little Britain, London, B.C. 



