112 MELITTA. (**. c.) 



after I had drawn it out but a little way, I saw its skin 

 burst, and a head as black as ink, with large staring 

 eyes and antennae consisting of two branches, 

 break forth, and move itself briskly from side to 

 side. It looked like a little imp of darkness just 

 emerging from the infernal regions. My eagerness 

 to set free from its confinement this extraordinary 

 animal may be easily conjectured. Indeed I was 

 impatient to become better acquainted with so sin- 

 gular a creature. When it was completely dis- 

 engaged, and I had secured it from making . its 

 escape, I set myself to examine it as accurately as 

 possible ; and I found, after a careful inquiry, that 

 I had not only got a non-descript, but also an in- 

 sect of a new genus, whose very class seemed 

 dubious. From its mode of life it ought to belong 

 to the Linnean genus Ichneumon in the Hymenop- 

 tera ; but it has neither stemmata, nor four wings, 

 and its palpi are not at all similar to those of the 

 insects of that class (z). From its elytra, (which, 

 however, are placed in a very extraordinary situ- 

 ation, being fixed to the sides of the thorax) it 

 ought to be a Coleopterous insect, but it seems to 

 possess but little of the general habit and character 

 of that class : perhaps it had better be considered 

 as Hemipterous, but till an opportunity occurs of 

 examining more specimens it would be rash to 

 speak too positively upon this head. 



After I had sufficiently examined my animal, I 



made a rude sketch of it, its antennae, &c. (a) : and 



(z) Tab. 14. n. 11. fig.2 . a, b. and fig. 5. (a) Ibid. fig. l—g. 



it 



