ICHNEUMONS. 157 



no means a representative private collection in Britain. Mr. 

 Desvignes's is now located in the British Museum, which 

 also contains the general collection of Dr. Reuler. Mr. F. 

 Walker's was tlie hard work of a life-time, but unfortunately 

 would have required another life's work to have made it of 

 use; the number of specimens was large, and many interest- 

 ing, but it lacked all system or arrange»)ent. 



There are but few entomologists who do not know these 

 insects, many certainly with dislike ; but the few who have 

 wished for a better knowledge of the fan)ilies, and the truly 

 wonderful economy of the species, have been deterred for the 

 want of an instructor. This is to be deplored, as from their 

 parasitism many species will necessarily remain extremely 

 local, though perhaps not rare, and the economy of others, 

 for lack of the determination of the species, remains 

 unrecorded. Some years ago the fine Arotes albichiclus was 

 considered a very rare insect. When the indefatigable Mr. 

 F. Smith was at Mr. Stephens's, on one of his meuiorable 

 Wednesday evenings, conversation turned on this insect. 

 Mr. Stephens described the very oak tree, in a lane near 

 Darenth Wood, on which he had captured the species. Mr. 

 Smith journeyed to " Darn," sought out the described tree, 

 and there on its trunk was Arotes waiting for him. A fine 

 instance of the value of locality. Till use is made of the 

 opportunities which continually offer for the classification of 

 these facts, the progress in the study must be small. Few are 

 preserved, and these seldom to a good purpose. The whole 

 proceedings with these parasites, continually being bred from 

 insects of all orders, show nothing but neglect : that this has 

 been the case is parlicidarly observable. Since my remarks 

 last December 1 have received three small parcels of 

 Ichneumons, and curiously enough each has contained a 

 species new at least to Britain : this shows how much is to 

 be done. With bred specimens a knowledge of the economy 

 of both the preyer and the preyed upon cannot fail to lead to 

 important result^: this has also been greatly neglected. Mr. 

 F. Bond, during his long experience, acquired a considerable 

 collection of the lepido})lerous parasites, each specimen 

 being labelled with information as to its parasitism. These 

 he gave to the late Mr. Desvignes, who, although a very 

 talented entomologist, was unfortunately a systematist; and 

 on acquiring this interesting collection his first action was to 

 remove the disfiguring labels, and so destroy its essential 

 value. 



