172 ROYAL iîOCIETY OF CANADA 



Il is lioped that the publication of even this imperfect list may 

 be an incentive to some Canadian entomologists to devote a portion of 

 their time to the collection and preservation of material in orders other 

 than the two hitherto fashionable. The Ilynunoptera are neither ditR- 

 cult to collect nor to preserve, and this holds good even of the much 

 neglected Proctotrypidio. It is true that they are small and inconsi)icu- 

 ous, often indeed microscopic, but once some slight knowledge of their 

 appearance and habits is gained, they can be readily recognized and col- 

 lected, and new or rare forms will certainly reward and stimulate the 

 collector. It may not be amiss, therefore, in this hope of arousing an 

 interest in their collection, and so obtaining a more adequate idea of their 

 number and distribution, to make a few observations upon their habits, 

 imperfectly as these are known in regard to the majority of the species. 



Ilaving arranged my collection in accordance with the scheme 

 adopted by Mr. Ashmead in his monograph, the title Proctotrypidte is 

 retained for all our siiecies. Recently, however, this eminent author, in 

 a suggested revision of the classification of the Hymenopteni (Journal 

 New York Ent 07110 logical Society, volume vii., pages 4.5-60, March, 1899), 

 separates the forms having one-jointed trochanters and lobed posterior 

 wings to form the -family IBethylida) of the superfamil}^ Vespoidea — a 

 position in accordance with the views of those earlier authors who con- 

 sidered them to be aculeates. This family would include the subfamilies 

 Bethylinœ and Dryinin» of my list, as well as the Embolemina^ of which 

 no Canadian species is recorded, and of which indeed only one American 

 species has been described. The remaining forms, having two jointed 

 trochanters and unlobed posterior wings, are placed in the superfamily 

 Proctotrypoidea, which also includes Pclicinus, an insect remarkable for 

 its long, slender abdomen, and which is not rare in Canada. 



As previously stated, our Proctotrypids ai-e all small, seldom reach- 

 ing the length of one-fourth of an inch, and sometimes, as in the case of 

 Ba'us, being scarcely visible or recognizable as insects, except to the 

 trained and watchful eye. They have, however, considerable and inter- 

 esting diversities of structure, and even very remarkable characters, 

 which require the use of the microscope for their proper inspection. 

 They are all sombre in colour, usually black or brownish, but often with 

 the legs, and sometimes more or less of the body, yellow, or, as with some 

 of the genus Proctotiypes, they may be more or less red. They have 

 none of the bright metallic and iridescent hues of the Chalcidida^ which 

 they resemble only in size. Even in the field the trained eye at once dis- 

 tinguishes them by their more ant-like or wa.sp-like forms, and b}' the 

 manner in which the wings are held when dead they can be distinguished 

 from the minute Braconids, which often occur with them. These have 

 the wings erect, with the upper surfaces more or less closely applied, 

 whereas in the Proctotrypids they arc laid flat and cover the abdomen. 



