THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
FEBRUARY. 1880. 
(No. 201. 
Vou. XIII] 
INTRODUCTORY PAPERS ON ICHNEUMONIDA. 
_By J B. Baipeman anv HE. A. Fitcu. 
No. L—INTRODUCTION. 
Oug previous articles in the ‘ Kntomologist’ (Kntom. xi. 34, 
156) have shown that the interest in Ichneumons is greater than 
had been expected. During the past year we have received some 
hundreds of specimens for determination, many communications 
asking for a satisfactory guide or comprehensive English work on 
the group, and not a few promising to take up this interesting 
branch of Entomology as a special study if we can only reeommend 
a starting-point. To this last enquiry we now attempt an answer 
in a few introductory papers on British Ichneumons generally. 
In the collections we have received it has also been apparent 
what a vast number of insects (belonging to totally different 
families), of very different shape and structure, may be compre- 
hended under the name of an “‘Ichneumon fly;” so not only is 
new information to be given, but much old knowledge is to be 
corrected. 
First, it may perhaps save a great deal of trouble and 
confusion if we describe the principal parts made use of in the 
discrimination of the Ichneumonide, and illustrate them clearly, 
as is the case on the accompanying plate. 
To commence with the head :—Fig. 1a, gives a front view; 
fig. 1b, a side view: a represents the antenne, of which a? is 
called the scape and a? the flagellum; in Ichneumons the joints 
are numerous, and as usual are numbered from the base; the 
antenne are mostly setiform or setaceous; bb, represent the 
eyes; c, the ocelli, which are always on the vertex; d, the face; 
e, the clypeus; jf, the labrum; gg, the mandibles; hh, the labial 
palpi; and 22, the maxillary palpi. In Fig. 2, A is the meso- 
mires) 
