We believe the group under investigation has been united by 

 Dalman with the Pteromali, a genus of Latreille's allied to 

 Perilamjms ; but Colas is nearer, perhaps closely allied to 

 Cleonymus of the latter author which embraces those species 

 with clouded wings, truncated antennae, the abdomens of the 

 females being similarly shaped to ours, but longer ; from being 

 unacquainted with their males, we cannot at present enter 

 further upon the subject. From other genera of the same 

 family, the one before us seems to be sufficiently distinct, and 

 easily distinguished when the sexes are known. The authority 

 on which we give the two insects in the plate as sexes of the 

 same species, is tolerably satisfactory ; but so far from wishing 

 that it should be received as conclusive, we would invite those 

 who are interested in the subject to pay attention to the lepi- 

 dopterous Chrysalides producing these pretty insects, which 

 will enable them to supply invaluable information upon a 

 family whose economy is highly interesting and but imperfectly 

 understood. 



In the 136th plate of this work the caterpillar of Acronycta 

 Salicis is given ; and from one of these (which spun itself up 

 in a web, but died before it became a pupa, in consequence of 

 its being inoculated by these parasites) we obtained, the be- 

 ginning of the following June, about half a dozen males and 

 twice as many females; and amongst 10 or 12 more species of 

 this genus, few of which appear to be described, is a pair that 

 I took last September upon the Achillea Millefolium^ in the 

 Isle of Wight, not differing in form but essentially in colour. 



Colas is derived from the Greek, and alludes to the parasitic 

 economy of this group ; and the specific name of dispar is cha- 

 racteristic of the disparity of the sexes. 



Our insects were inhabitants of the Trossacks, and specimens 

 of the plant figured, Viola lutea (a variety of the yellow Moun- 

 tain Pansy), were tolerably abundant on the north and east 

 sides of Schichallien the beginning of July. 



