jQq FAMILIiE. {Jpis. •**. c. 2. a.) 



habit, and belong to the same natural division^ of 

 subdivisions of a genus, are connected likewise by 

 their mode of life. As to characters, before any 

 particular one is selected for the definition of a 

 species, inquiry should first be made whether it 

 may not be a sexual distinction common to many 

 individuals. But the science of entomology is far 

 behind botany ; in innumerable instances vi^e are at 

 a loss to discover and discriminate the sexes. The 

 present work, I flatter myself, may contribute to 

 remove some of the difhculties which stand in the 

 way of our attaining this knowledge. The sexes 

 of the two genera, to which these pages are devo- 

 ted, may now be detected with ease ; and, perhaps,- 

 the discovery of a similar circumstance may enable 

 some future entomologist to point out the sexes in 

 all the classes of insects. If some of the largest 

 and most common individuals in each were dis- 

 sected, and examined with sufficient attention, pro- 

 bably this desideratum' might soon be attained. 

 But to return from this digression. 



The aculeates in this family furnish no very 

 striking and prominent features for specific defi- 

 nitions, they are so extremely similar to each 

 other, that it is not wonderful that they have been 

 so much confounded, but this difficulty is, in a 

 great degree, removed by the males, which will 

 supply the describer with some very strong charac- 

 ters. Thus, the male of the genuine udlpis cen-' 

 tuncularisj which makes its centunculi of rose 



leaves_j 



