MEMOIRS 



OF THE 



OAENEGIE MUSEUM. 



VOL. I. NO. 4. 



CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUPEKFAMILY CHALCIDOIDEA. 



By Wm. Harris Ashmead, A. M. 



INTRODUCTION. 



About fourteen years ago Mr. Herbert H. Smith placed in ray hands for study 

 part of his extensive collection of South American parasitic Hymenoptera, repre- 

 senting the old families Proctotrypidfe, Cynipidse and Chalcididse. The collection was 

 a valuable one and when I took it I confidently expected to find time to finish with 

 it within two or three years ; but so much other material Avas thrust upon me for 

 study that I found it a physical impossibility to do it justice in that length of time ; 

 only a few short papers on it have been published. The work accomplished during 

 these past fourteeen years has I think fully demonstrated that I have not been idle, 

 ray knowledge of the groups, genera, and species of the Hymenoptera has greatly 

 increased and broadened, and I now feel better able to do justice to the splendid col- 

 lection received so many years ago. 



The Herbert H. Smith collection of insects, made in South America, repre- 

 senting nearly all orders, has been acquired by the Carnegie Museum, Pitts- 

 burgh, Pa., and much to my regret, the many fine species, except a set of dupli- 

 cates in my hands, and which 1 had always hoped might be secured by the 

 National Museum, must go to that Museum. Dr. W. J. Holland, the Director 

 of the Carnegie Museum, desires now that I complete my work as soon as pos- 

 sible and return the material in my possession. In acceding to this request I 

 have stipulated that he publish my classification of the chalcid-flies, or the Super- 

 family Chalcidoidea, as a part of this work, and it is through his liberality that 

 I am able to give so many fine illustrations and present in a more attractive form 

 my ideas on the cla.ssification of another great complex in the Order Hymenoptera. 



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