20 ' INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



which in both these genera, I speak only of the 

 minuti of the latter^ are subject to continual vari- 

 ations. In Eulophiis the antenncc ramosa are only 

 a sexual distinction (or). The separation of the 

 minuti from the genus Ichneumon by this author, 

 , appears to me to be a point gained in this class, 

 but he has intermixed these with Cynipes in his 

 two genera Cynips and Diplolepsis. The latter, 

 according to his characters, should include the 

 genuine Cynipes, and the former the Ichneumones 

 minuti. 



The Earon Dc Geer, who, like his illustrious 

 predecessor Reaumur, penetrated into the deepest 

 recesses of nature in the pursuit of truth, and 

 brouo-ht forth to lidit and notice innumerable 

 anecdotes and facts, before unknown, relative to 

 the history and economy of the minute, but 

 wonderful, animals which belong to the entomo-' 

 logical department ; by this very circumstance was 

 enabled, more than any of his predecessors, to 

 improve the Linnean generic characters in this and 

 other classes, and to render them applicable with 

 more certainty to the species wliich they were in- 

 tended to distinguish. He has nearly inverted, 

 with what propriety I shall not now enquire, the 

 Linnean order of Hy menopterous genera (?/), and 



(.x)DeGeer, torn. 2. p. 2. Mem. 15. p. gOl. Tab. 31. fig. 

 14 — 1/. Kirby in Lin. Trans, vol. 5. p. lOp. note t. 



(?/) Tlius: Apis, Nomada, Vcspa, SpheXj Chrysis, Sirex, Ich- 

 neumon, Cynips, Tenthredo, Formica. 



separated. 



