283 JOURNAL OP ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 1 



During June, 1904, he studied the habits of the species at Fontenay- 

 aux-Roses, his suburban home just outside of Paris. His observations 

 as published in the Bulletin are extremely interesting, and roughly 

 translated are as follows : 



"Ou the 26th of June, at Fontenay-aux-Roses, I collected some elm leaves 

 that had been attacked by the beetle. Most of the eggs found ou the surface 

 of these leaves had long since hatched, and the larvae coming from them, in 

 different degrees of development, were eating the parenchyma of the leaves. 

 However, in spite of the late period, a good many eggs were yet unhatched, 

 and among these there were certain ones which were gray in color, due to 

 the presence of the little Chalcidid already formed and ready to issue. 



"On the 28th these parasites came out in a receptacle in which the leaves 

 had been enclosed. On the 29th and 30th I watched the ovipositing of the 

 Chalcidid in some groups of elm-leaf beetle eggs that had not hatched and 

 which were behind the great majority. Through the glass receptacle one 

 could see the minute Hymenoptera stand for long periods upon the eggs of 

 the beetle, and to observe a single individual it was quite possible, with the 

 aid of forceps, to withdraw the leaf upon which it was placed and to exam- 

 ine it with a hand lens at leisure. 



"In order to be perfectly exact, I will select an individual among those 

 which I have reared, and will relate in succession all of its acts in accordance 

 with note.s taken in the course of my observation. 



"The Tetrastichus is standing upon the summit of the egg of the Galeru- 

 cella, a little to one side and in an almost vertical attitude; its abdomen is 

 incurved. With the terminal pieces of the sheath, which emerge toward the 

 point, it touches and marks the place where the ovipositor is to be introduced; 

 the point of this, which issues from the ventral face, is placed just at the 

 point indicated; then the extremity of the abdomen is lifted, and one then 

 sees the piercing organ, which presents the aspect of a long, fine thread, pene- 

 trate, being directed a little obliquely toward the base of the egg. The opera- 

 tion Is quite long, and lasts more than a minute. The insect rai.ses and lowers 

 its perforating apparatus several times without entirely withdrawing it from 

 the egg, in which it remains inserted. It appears finally to penetrate quite 

 to the bottom, and then, having remained some instants with its abdomen in 

 contact with the egg, it withdraws the ovipositor. It then begins one of the 

 most curious manceuvers, which makes the biological history of this insect 

 quite original. As soon as the ovipositor is withdrawn, the parasite places 

 its head at the point where the piercing organ has just been, and then licks 

 with avidity the little wound which has just been made. Then it turns around 

 and carries the extremity of the abdomen close to the wound. Then, with the 

 terminal pieces of the ovipositor sheath, it feverishly gropes about, lowering 

 them and raising them, and placing them here and there, until they place 

 themselves exactly at the point of perforation. These movements are quite 

 long, but as soon as the point is found the ovipositor penetrates a second time 

 into the orifice, and remains there about half a minute. Then the insect 

 withdraws it and, by a manceuver like that already described, licks the wound 

 once more with avidity. 



"The parasite then rests for some instants, and walks about the leaf in the 

 neighborhood of the beetle eggs; but it returns rapidly to the egg which has 



