58 KOTKH on chalcidia;. 



Abdomen gibbous, very finely punctured, much shorter than the 

 abdomen. Kuees tawny. Tarsi yellow. Wings pellucid; veins 

 blackish; ulna less than half the length of the humerus; radius 

 more than half the length of the ulna; cubitus very short; stigma 

 small. Length of the body 1^ line. 

 Ceylon. 



OKMYRLDiE. 



Tribseus, Foerst., and Monobaeus, Foerst., are two European 

 genera of this family. 



Genus OEMYRUS. 



Of this genus there are several European and one North American 

 species. Two species have been found in England. 0. nigrocyaneus 

 is merely a variety of O. punctiger. 



0. orientalis. Fcem. — Cyaneo-viridis, purpureo et aureo-viridi 

 van us ; antennae nigrae ; scutellum acuminatum; abdomen longi- 

 couicum, fortiter punctatum ; tarsi albidi ; alae diapbanae. 



Female. — Bluish green, partly purple or golden green, thinly beset 

 with white hairs. Antennae black, subclavate, nearly as long as the 

 head and the thorax together. Scutellum acuminated. Abdomen 

 elongate-conical, largely puuctured, longer than the head and the 

 thorax together. Tegs green; hind femora blue; tarsi whitish. 

 Wings pellucid ; veins pale brown ; ulna nearly as long as the 

 humerus ; radius less than one-fourth of the length of the ulna ; 

 cubitus extremely short. Length of the body 1\ line. 



Ceylon. 



ENCYRTLD.E. 



The structure of the Encyrtidae is very different from that of the 

 preceding families. The large prothorax which characterizes the 

 Leucospidae, Cbakidkke, Eurytomidae, Torymidae and Perilampidae 

 ceases here, but the mesothorax is much developed, and there is a 

 corresponding expansion of the mesopectus and of the middle legs, 

 which enable the little flies to take long and rapid leaps. The short 

 and sessile abdomen which distinguishes them is also adapted to their 

 movements, which exceed in quickness those of all the other 

 ChalcidisB. They exercise a limitatory control over the Coccidae, or 

 scale-insects, on which they generally feed in early life, and the 

 female Encyrtus may be often seen skipping about the female Coccus 

 and inserting eggs therein. The structure of this family seems to 



