68 HYMENOPTERA. 



once fasten upon the larva of the wasp, scarcely appear to 

 cease feeding until they become full grown. 



To my mind, these records satisfactorily trace the precise 

 nature of the parasitism of HhipipJiorus. Latreille, it is 

 true^ had previously published his opinion that Rhipiphorus 

 was a guest in the wasp's nest, that is, deposited its eggs in 

 the cells, and that the wasp nourished its larva as if it was 

 one of its own offspring ; this opinion, I believe, had only 

 conjecture for its foundation. Mr. Curtis adopted the same 

 view, although he was acquainted with the observations of 

 Mr. Denison ; but I am inclined to think he only did so 

 because he could not believe in the possibility of Latreille 

 being in error. 



It has been a matter of surprise to many entomologists, 

 having these recoids before them, that a naturalist of the 

 standing of Mr. Murray should have endeavoured to rebuild, 

 as it were, the fallen fabric erected by Latreille; but Mr. 

 Murray had possessed himself of an amount of material 

 which he no doubt considered amply sufficient for the pur- 

 pose ; in fact, he considered that it substantiated Latreille's 

 hypothesis. The article published in support of this view 

 appeared in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History for 

 November, 1869. 



It is not necessary to follow the details recorded in the 

 paper alluded to; suffice it to say, that nothing was observed 

 which affected the correctness of Mr. Stone's observations ; 

 on the coutrary, there was much that was really confirmatory 

 of it; but Mr. Murray, from his point of view, was induced 

 to consider them proofs of the correctness of the Latreiilian 

 hypothesis; so the matter rested until the present season. 



In the month of August last, most fortunately, Mr. Murray 

 was the first to discover the unstable foundation he had built 

 upon, and was the first to write, " I have solved the Rhipi- 



