Memsais.] BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 237 



alutaceous, interspersed with fine punctures towards apex of third and 

 fourth, and throughout fifth and sixth, segments ; anal styles exserted ; 

 second ventral segment shortly plicate in 9 : tcrebra stout and dis- 

 tinctly shorter than the abdomen, with smooth black valvulae and red 

 sjnrula. T.egs stout and ful\o-castan(>ous with the base of all the tibiae 

 broadly, hind tarsi with joints two to four and often most of the fifth, 

 white; third and fourth joints of the intermediate tarsi white in (J, ferru- 

 gineous in 9 ; all the coxae, trochanters and more or less of the hind 

 femora towards their apices, black, the former finely and distinctly punc- 

 tate, with white pilosity ; posterior coxae apically emarginate and exter- 

 nally produced. Wings somewhat clouded with nervures and stigma 

 piceous ; tegulae infuscate and often basally white ; areolet regularly 

 triangular, petiolate or subpetiolate, emitting recurrent ner\'ure from 

 beyond its centre ; nervellus curved and intercepting in the centre. 

 Length, lo — 12 mm. 



At once known from all other J/c/i/sri by its red abdomen and coarse 

 brownish pilosity. The legs are variable in the extent of infuscate 

 colouration, which is often shared by the tibiae. This species is said to 

 have constituted the genus AUnpIasta of Forster, though his characters 

 are inconstant and valueless ; it is, nevertheless, very different in shape 

 and conformation from the above species of this genus. 



Respecting the svnonvmy of ExctasUs alhitarstis, no doubt can, I think, 

 remain since (Iravenhorst's two descriptions are word for word the same, 

 excepting a slight divergence in the colour of the flagellum and tegulae. 

 Bignell (Trans. Devon. Assoc. i8q8, p. 504) says he has bred J/, murinus 

 from Chrvsis neghcla, which was parasitic upon Odvmrus spinipes, and 

 that he considers this species structurally distinct from E. alhilarsus, 

 though no differences are specified and, judging from its host, his insect 

 was probably incorrectly named ; Bridgman considered them synonymous 

 (Trans. Norf. Soc. 1893, j). 624). 



This species is one of the commonest throughout Europe and appears 

 on the Continent, where strangely enough it has never been bred, as 

 early as the end of April. With us it is common enough, though not 

 abundant ; it is recorded from the Lands End district, Bickleigh and as 

 connnon in Norfolk; in the \'ictoria Mistory it is mentioned from Read- 

 ing, Hastings, (iucstliug and I-.sscx ; 1 have seen exainiilcs from Copdock 

 in Suffolk, Boars Hill and Shotover near Oxford, Devonshire, Derbyshire, 

 Folkestone, West .Malvern, Kings Lynn and Ballaugh in the Isle of Man. 

 During the first half of June I have observed the females flying along 

 whitethorn hedges at the Bentley Woods near Ipswich in search of their 

 hosts and alighting uj)on the leaves, as though to rest, with fast vibrating 

 wings, like those of the Ciyp/inae ; when first emerged in May, they are 

 fond of frequenting blackthorn bushes, though I am not sure that the 



