XXVI INTRODUCTION. 



to proceed after a heavy shower, which, he clanns, is the psychological 

 moment to capture them. I have not personally noted this fact. 



The above methods of capture fall into insignificance, however, when 

 compared with flowers. No insect is more fond of sweets, and none more 

 indifferent to bright-coloured, flavourless objects, than the Ichneumon. 

 Many kinds, especially Meniscus murifius, will be ' discovered hovering 

 about the blackthorn blossom, in April ; numbers of Cryptinae frequent 

 whitethorn flowers, in May, and are also to be beaten from those of moun- 

 tain ash ; in June, many captures of smaller species may be effected upon 

 chervil and hemlock, in fact, it is the Umbelliferae in general which are 

 most attractive, on account of the greater amount of saccharine matter 

 secreted by the stylopods.^ Elliott has found these insects to frequent 

 meadow-sweet, and Berthoumieu tells us they are attracted by Euphorhiae. 

 I have never found them at bramble, ragwort, nor, like the Aculeates, to 

 be fond of bryony. One of the three flowers which most profitably repay 

 close working, is the cow's parsley, whose great white tables are often quick 

 with parasites in July, while in August the more slender, yellow fennel is 

 hardly less populous. The best plant of all is the angelica, and if you 

 should meet with a clump of these flowers in some marshy spot you need 

 go no further that day ; angelica is in bloom from early August till the fall 

 of the frosts, and is always prolific, which cannot be said of other autumnal 

 flowers, such as scabious, ragwort and yarrow, though carrot, both in its 

 wild and cultivated states, produces species up to the end of October. As 

 regards collecting upon angelica in August, I have noticed that sunshine 

 is almost absolutely necessary to the insects' presence ; isolated heads are 

 those most affected, but when growing in large beds, the highest heads, 

 and those on the outskirts, but especially those in fullest bloom, are chiefly 

 frequented. The insects are often difficult to capture, since they see the 

 net descending, and instantly dart off. When alighting, the Ichneumo- 

 ninae make a quick plunge at the flower and at once begin to feed, but 

 the Tryphons, when approaching Heracleum, appear to dart swiftly to the 

 flower, hover before it like Svriffa pipiens for a moment, then gently alight 

 beneath the table, and afterwards crawl up on to its surface. Cryptinae 

 alight very gently and circumspectly upon the upper surface, after hovering 

 for a moment or two. 



Ichneumonidae are not so easily frightened away as are Syrphidae. 

 Pimplae, which have an affection for thistles, though not, I think, for the 

 flowers, will sometimes return and again hover at the plant whence they 

 have been frightened. Ophion and Ichneumons will never return in this 

 manner to flowers. The former is not especially nervous, but when once 

 alarmed it flies off hurriedly, careering wildly (like a Tipula) for some 

 twenty or thirty yards ; the latter, if only slightly disturbed, gently flit away 

 and a quick stroke of the net will secure them, but, if thoroughly alarmed, 



1 I have, at various times, found tlie following species of Umbelliferae, in tlieir order of merit, to 

 be attractive to Ichneumonidae: — Angelica sylvestrh, Heracleum Sphoiidylium, Foeniciilum vnlgare, 

 Daucus Carota, Pastinacea sativa, Chaerophyllum temiihim, Anthrisciis sylvestris, Coiiium tiiaciilatiim, 

 Cicuta virosa, Sinyrnium Olusalruni and Pimpinella Saxifraf^a. I have also found these insects at 

 Nasturtium officinale, Malva sylvestris, Vicia sativa, Prunus spiiwsa, Crataegus Oxyacanthus, Matri- 

 caria inodora, Tanacetum vulgare, Lysimachia vulgaris, Mentha, Scutellaria galericulata, Myrica Gale 

 and Allium nrsinum, though it is not always the flowers which are affected. On 25th July, 1899, 

 Bassus laetatorius, Fab., was exceedingly abundant upon Polygonum, near the beach, at Slaughton by 

 Aldeburgh. They were running up and down the stems and leaves, poking both antennae at once into 

 the cups surrounding the former's bases, and evidently in search of something which was not visible 

 to the naked eye during fifteen minutes of observation. It is generally believed to be parasitic upon 

 Syrphid larvae (r/. Brischke ; Bignell, in Entom , 1884, p. 167, iSrc), none of which were apparent. 



