Spalangia is an interesting group, distinguished from all the 

 other pentamerous Chalcididae by its biarticulate palpi. The 

 allied genus Cerocephala being apterous is readily distin- 

 guished from the typical Spalangise, and the very minute and 

 imperfect labial palpi of Pirene form the essential character 

 of that curious genus. Mr. Haliday observes that this group 

 has a slight resemblance in habit to Megaspilus (Ceraphron, 

 pi. 249). It having appeared to me that this insect would 

 connect the Oxyuri or Proctotrupidae with the Cynipidae or 

 Chalcididae, I placed it between those two extensive groups 

 in my Guide ; but the difficulties attending a natural arrange- 

 ment of such unlimited families have led to a variety of opi- 

 nions concerning their affinities. It seems to me that there 

 are ^ species of Spalangia, and I very much regret not having 

 received the nondescripts in time to figure one of them. 



1. hirta Hal. Ent. Mag. 1. 334. 1. 



" Head and thorax almost entirely punctate-reticulate, 

 densely villose. Length of body, 14 ; of wings, 2." 

 Taken in England. 



2. nigra Lat. — Curt. Brit. Ent. pi. 740 ? . 



Shining black ; the head with a large smooth shining fovea 

 in front, the rest punctured, as well as the thorax, which is 

 slightly pubescent and sometimes greenish, disc and scutel 

 perfectly smooth ; abdomen faintly violaceous : wings iri- 

 descent, scarcely tinged with brown, nervures brown ; base of 

 tarsi bright ochreous. Length from 1 to 1 ^ line. 

 Found in pastures and marshes amongst the grass, also on 

 the foliage of trees not uncommonly, from the middle of April 

 to August, in every part of the counti'y, and even in the gar- 

 dens of London. 



Bouche says the larvae inhabit the pupae of the common 

 house-fly, Musca domestica, eating the intestines. 



3. nigripes Curt, MSS. 



Black, head and thorax slightly tinted with green, abdomen 

 a little violaceous; basal joint ochreous only in the anterior 

 tarsi: length 1^ line. 

 A female has been taken by Mr. Shuckard. 



4. nigroaenea Curt. Guide, n. 4. 



Black, bronzed and greenish, hinder portion of the abdo- 

 men chalybeous : antennae stoutish : wings yellowish brown, 

 base and tips of tibiae and tarsi bright ochreous, the latter 

 with the apex blackish : length li line. 

 A male in Mr. Shuckard's collection, and I have seen an- 

 other elsewhere. 



Asparagus officinalis, Common Asparagus, was transmitted 

 to me by Dr. Bromfield, who gathered specimens last July 

 on the sandy shore at Norton in the Isle of Wight. 



