Hymenopterous Genus Scleroderma. 1G5 
aequalibus at latitudine scnsim decrescentibus, ultimo gra- 
ciliori, ad apicem setis nonnullis longioribus. Mentum cra- 
teriforme. Labium, in individuo exsiccato, parvum integrum 
subrotundatum. Palpi labiales triarticulati, magnitudine 
sensim decrescentes. Thorax elongatus, subdepressus ; 
collare seu prothorax subquadratus, antice attenuatus et 
tertiam partem thoracis occupans. Mesotliorax parvus, scu- 
telliformis, lateribus dilatatis. Metathorax subquadratus aut 
oblongus, postice recte truncatus, angulis posticis promi- 
nulis. Alee nullae. Pedes breves, femoribus crassis, oblon- 
gis, posticis obclavatis ; tibiis simplicibus, apicibus paulo 
crassioribus, tarsis 5-articulatis, simplicibus, unguibus parvis. 
Abdomen capite cum thorace plus minusve longius, ob- 
longo-ovatum, subconvexum ; pedunculo bi'evissimo cum 
thorace connexum; oviductus minutus, subprominulus. 
The external characters of this genus appear, it is true, at the 
first sight, to be almost identical with those of Myrmecodes and 
Methoca, amongst the Mutillidce : but it appears to me that 
Scleroderma is much more nearly allied to some of the genera of 
Proctotrupidce , especially Omalus, Jur. — Epyris, Westw. ( Bethylusp. 
Panzer ) — Cephalonomia, Westw. — Ceraphron, See.; in which the 
females of some of the species are apterous, and in some of 
which we find the joints in the maxillary palpi fewer than the 
typical number ; the structure of the antennae and ovipositor 
have not the appearance of those of a strictly aculeate Hymenop- 
terous insect, as Myrmecodes or Methoca, whilst the generally 
small size of the insects is in favour of their relation with the 
Proctotrupidce. 
That these genera depart indeed from the general character 
of that family, and approach the Mutillidce, is evident. Thus Nees 
von Esenbeck asks, “ Whether the genus Mena does not belong 
to the family or subfamily Dryinei ?” adding, “ Habitus maxime 
convenit, sed alarum nervi magis completi, areolas plures dis- 
tinctioresque construunt. Certo certius, hoc genere inter- 
cedente, Dryinei Mutillariis arctissime connectuntur.” — Hym. 
Monogr. 2, p. 397. Mr. Haliday also observes, “ Bethylorum 
genus abnorme, inter Oxyuros jam diutius exulat, quippe cui 
locum [et familiae gradum] inter Hymenoptera Fossoria vindicant 
trophi, aculeus (venenatus acris) habitus et mores. Conferendm 
generis Stigmi species abdomine subsessili, ex. gr. Stigmus Tro- 
glodytes, Vander Lind.” — ( Ent . Mag. i. 276.) 
I cannot, however, agree with Mr. Haliday in regarding 
Bethylus as a fossorial genus, much less in associating it with 
