Miiiisnis.] BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 229 



normal length of days, since the parasites would have had a less plentiful 

 supply of food, through its greater distribution, and consequently have 

 taken longer to become full-fed. The cocoon of the parasite had emerged 

 from the destroyed larva after the latter had spun up, which unnaturally 

 early act was presumably induced by a feeling of weak and premature 

 maturity, perhaps generated bv the extent of that to wliich the parasite 

 within it had attaind. 



Var. PiFFARDi. In iiSgg, .Mr. Albert Piftard gave me from Felden, 

 near Boxmoor, in Herts, two females, whicli are j)robably specifically dis- 

 tinct from M. st/osiis, and if so are certainly undescribed, though agreeing 

 therewith in their essential characters. Therefrom they differ in having 

 the wings entirely hyaline, the areolet much smaller, the fenestrae dis- 

 creted by a corneous (kit, the mesonotum and scutelluni much more closely 

 punctate and duller, tlie nietanotum more evenly punctate and shining ; 

 all the coxae, tegulae, radices and the hind tarsi red ; and with a total 

 length of only i6 mm. In all other respects they are entirely typical. 



Var. fulvipks, Desv. A somewhat stout, black species with red legs. 

 Head narrower than the thorax, strongly transverse and slightly narrowed 

 behind the eyes ; whole of cly])eus, mandibles, and all the palpi bright 

 castaneous ; face evenly and feebly punctate, and centrally subelevated, 

 laterally impressed on either side ; frons evenly punctate and centrally 

 subconcave ; S with the facial orbits obsoletely and narrowly rufescent. 

 Antennae filiform, nearly as long as body, apically obtuse with the apical 

 joints hardly discreted; scape of $ dull ferrugineous beneath and slender; 

 flagellum of 9 as long as the abdomen. Thorax \\ iih a fulvous callosity 

 before the radix and notauli \'ery distinct ; metathorax somewhat evenly 

 and not strongly jnuictate ; areola obsolete, apophyses indicated but 

 strongly obtuse ;■ petiolar area basally entire ; spiracles circular. Scutelluni 

 prominent, black and triangular. Abdomen of J nearly, of V quite, as 

 broad as the thorax, discally deplanate ; three basal segments dull, con- 

 fluentlv, very closely and finelv punctate with their ai>ices glabrous, two 

 latter with a broad and subobsolete tubercle on either side, with the spira- 

 cles marginal and near the base ; remainder smooth and shining, with the 

 apex of the basal segment sometimes subrufescent ; terebra as long as the 

 body with the spicula rufescent. Legs red throughout or with the hind 

 tarsi and tibiae subinfuscate and the latter somewhat fulvescent towards 

 their base ; tarsal claws shortly but distinctly pectinate. Wings with the 

 radix and tegulae ferrugineous, and the stigma piceous; areolet triangular 

 and subpetiolate ; nervellus opposite and intercepting distinctly below 

 the centre. Length, 7 — 8 litics. 



The above description is taken from Desvignes' types of /../tihip(S, 

 which is undoubtedly synonymous with this species and of which the 



