Banchtis.] BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 289 



these were doubtless attracted by Georueira piniaria, from the larvae of 

 which this species has been bred in Germany. In Britain it is said to be 

 not uncommon at Glanvillcs Wootton, by Dale ; taken by Dr. Capron 

 near Guildford (Entom. 1880, p. 88); at Bickleigh Wood in Devon, at the 

 end of -May, by Bignell ; about Colchester by Harwood ; in Alderncy in 

 1899 by Luft"; in Aldercarr Wood in Notts., in July, by Prof. Carr ; to be 

 not uncommon about Norwich by Bridgman ; and plentiful at the Devils 

 Ditch in June and on whitehorn hedges at Stetchworth, in Cambs. (Vict. 

 Hist. Cambs). Piffard has sent it to me from Felden in Herts; Hamm 

 from Tubney, near Oxford ; Sparke from Tuddenham Fen, Suffolk, in 

 June ; Col. Bingham from Ravenscar in Yorks, and Tuck from Bury St. 

 Ednumds in July ; it appears much rarer in August, when Wainwright 

 took two males at West Runton in 1900. It has only occurred to me 

 about South wold on the Suffolk coast, at Reydon and Easton Bavents, 

 and always on the flower-tables of Heracleum sphvndyliipn and Daucus 

 carota in July ; it has always been abundant there since I first observed it 

 seven years ago, especially in the most windy situations on the top of the 

 cliffs ; the dates vary from the 9th to the 26th of the month, and I could 

 find none there this year in early September. This species flies onto the 

 Heracleum flowers with very little hesitation, and feeds with its head dow^n 

 and abdomen erected on the long hind legs ; they may easily be taken in 

 one's fingers if a dart be made at them, but if their wings be not settled in 

 repose they take flight at the least alarm ; they often fall through the 

 table of the flower and fly away from below it, not hiding there like Cap- 

 sidae. If only slightly disturbed they will stand motionless for a minute 

 and a half, with antennae stretched forward and, even on resuming their 

 repast, they are keenly on the alert. They nearly always aflect the tallest 

 flower-heads and, when frightened, give off a pleasant odour, resembling 

 that of a barber's shop. It has been bred, according to Buckler, from 

 both Chaerocarnpa porcellus and Dasychira fascelina. Curtis records his 

 B. Farratii, from the sandhills near Roundstone and Kinnordy, in 

 Ireland. 



EXETASTES, Graveuhorst. 



Gr. I. E. lii (1829). 395. 



Head short and transverse, somewhat produced in front, not buccate 

 posteriorly and often white-marked ; clypeus subdiscreted, a little broader 

 than long, more or less impressed, basally elevated and apically rounded 

 but not excised ; mandibles broad, curved, subconstricted apically with 

 the teeth nearly of equal length ; maxillary palpi simple ; eyes entire and 

 not emarginate. Antennae slender filiform or subsetaceous with the scape 

 ovate and apically hardly excised. Thorax somewhat narrow ; epicncmia 



u 



