Hymc7ioptera Orientalis. 



Hymenoptera Orientalis ; or Contributions to a know- 

 ledge of the Hymenoptera of the Oriental Zoological 

 Region. By P. Cameron. Communicated by John 

 Boyd, Esq. 



{Received March nth, i88g.) 



Part I. 

 Introduction. 



Notwithstanding the large number of our countrymen 

 who reside in our East Indian possessions, our knowledge 

 of their insect fauna, even of the Hindostan peninsula, is 

 exceedingly meagre and fragmentary. A good beginning 

 has been made towards the study of the Lepidoptera, but 

 the same can hardly be said of the other orders. As regards 

 the Hymenoptera, excellent work has been done by our 

 distinguished countryman, Mr. A. R. Wallace, more par- 

 ticularly in the Islands ; and his labours have been recorded 

 in numerous papers by my late friend, Mr. Frederick Smith, 

 of the British Museum. But, with all that, very much 

 remains to be done before our knowledge of the Oriental 

 Hymenoptera can be fairly stated to be at all adequate. 

 The fact that less than 2,000 species have been recorded 

 from the Oriental region is sufficient evidence of the truth 

 of this statement ; and of the need of the attention of 

 Indian residents being directed to such a promising field 

 of entomological study. 



My own attention was drawn to the inquiry by Mr. G. 

 A. James Rothney offering to place at my disposal for study 

 the beautiful and extensive collection formed by him during 

 many years' residence in India, chiefly in the Calcutta 

 district. This valuable source of information has been 



