Polyblastus | BRITISH ICHNEUMONS. 299 


Three males early in June.on umbels in Hanover, and in Silesia 
(Grav.); Aix in April (Fonsc.); Sweden (Holmgr.). ‘Taken in the 
beginning of June near London” (Stephens); Nunton in Wilts. (Mar- 
shall coll.) ; it is apparently rare with us and I possess only three males 
and a female from Capron’s Surrey collection. ‘The var. propinguus has a 
similar distribution, extending to Vienna; Stephens records it from the 
London district; and Marshall has found it at Bishops Teignton and 
Barnstaple. 
10. rivalis, Holmgr. 
Polyblastus rivalis, Holmgr. Sv. Ak. Handl. 1855, p. 208, ¢ ?. P. hilaris, 
Holmgr. Jib. cit. p. 209, 2; cf. Parf. Trans. Devon. Assoc. 1881, p. 276. 
Somewhat shining, punctulate and black with the mouth, clypeus, 
tegulae and apical margins of the anal segments, stramineous; antennae 
more or less beneath, legs and centre of abdomen, red. Metathorax 
usually with three, very rarely five, areae. Scutellum not pyramidal, at 
most basally margined. Basal segment gradually dilated towards its apex, 
subscabriculous, with distinct carinae extending to a little beyond its 
centre; second segment subrugosely punctate, transversely impressed 
centrally, and red, usually entirely, though sometimes more or less 
nigrescent basally; third and fourth red with apex of latter black ; follow- 
ing black, nitidulous and apically pale. Legs red with the coxae and 
trochanters either red or black; hind femora and tibiae apically, and their 
tarsi, more or less infuscate; apical joint of hind tarsi hardly double 
length of penultimate. Areolet always wanting; radial nervure apically 
slightly reflexed; nervellus intercepted below its centre. Length, 
5—6 mm. 
I am persuaded that P. Az/aris is no more than a colour variety of this 
species, differing solely in possessing an apical facial spot on either side, 
the flagellum black and scape flavidous beneath, and the legs red with 
only the coxae basally black; Holmgren himself was doubtful of its 
specific rank and described it from the female captured by Boheman in 
Lapland. 
Holmgren says it is not uncommon in damp meadows in northern 
Sweden and Lapland, and Gaulle records it from France. It has been 
found by Bignell at Bickleigh in Devon on 6th September ; but it is cer- 
tainly rare, since | have taken but two males, on the banks of the Nene at 
Peterboro in the middle of June, 1908, and ina garden in Lyndhurst 
towards the middle of July, tgog. 
11. marginatus, Holmgr. 
Polyblastus marginatus, Holmgr. Sv. Ak. Handl. 1855, p. 210; Brisch. Phys. 
Ges. Konig. 1871, p.93; Schr. Nat. Ges. Danz. 1878, p.98,¢ ?. P. (Scopiorus) 
marginatus, Thoms. O. E. ix.903. P. arcuatus, Holmgr. lib. cit. 209, ¢. 
A shining and black species with the mouth, antennae beneath, and 
most of the legs red. Clypeus apically rounded; antennae somewhat 
shorter than body and red, infuscate above. Metathorax with three, 
rarely five, somewhat distinct areae; petiolar area large and nearly per- 
pendicular; epicnemia entire. Scutellum subdeplanate, smooth and 
laterally margined to its apex; postscutellum distinctly bifoveolate. Basal 
