Bracon, it will be found that they do not well agree with the 

 characters of the larger ones with opaque wings, which appear 

 to be universally distributed, being found as far south as the 

 Cape of Good Hope, from whence we receive a variety of 

 beautiful species ; on the continent of Europe there have been 

 several detected, but we can claim but one at present in this 

 country. 



Mons. Latreille has observed that the mouth is produced 

 in the form of a rostrum, like Agathis : it appears to me that 

 the lip and maxillae unite, so as to form a short proboscis ; 

 but this is not easily discoverable in dead specimens, except 

 by dissection. The same author has described the labial palpi 

 as 4-jointed, but I am inclined to agree with Fabricius, that 

 they have only 3 joints. I would wish here to remark, that 

 the costal nerve is continued round the wing, and not termi- 

 nated near the apex, as is common with the Ichneumonidse ; 

 that the submarginal cells are complete, but the last transverse 

 nerve is less strong than the others, especially in the female ; 

 and that the 1st submarginal and two discoidal ceils, which 

 are nearly of equal size, form a regular hne across the supe- 

 rior wings : indeed so great are the differences of structure, 

 as well as economy of Bracoji and its congeners, that it is pro- 

 bable when further investigated and better understood, they 

 will be found to form a natural and extensive family. 



The male of Bracon Denigrator, it is presumed, is very rare 

 even upon the continent, otherwise it would have been figui'ed 

 with the other sex. That which is here represented, was 

 taken last year in Birchwood, Kent, and is now in the posses- 

 sion of Mr. Stone; and the only female that I have seen, was 

 captured by the Rev. W. Kirby, and is now in Mr. Stephens's 

 fine collection. Panzer in his Fauna Germanica,fasc. 45. n. 14. 

 has figured this sex. 



Fabricius says, that it frequents gardens upon the continent, 

 where it appears to be not uncommon ; and Latreille informs 

 us, that the female deposits her eggs in the fruit of plants, es- 

 pecially thistles. 



The plant figured is Cichorium Infyhus (Wild Succory). 



