260 
With regard to the systematic position of the Tricho- 
gramminæ, the original authors such as Walker or West- 
wood, did not put any importance in the fact that they 
only had three joints in the tarsi, and therefore placed 
them together with Eulophus. Förster is the first who 
proves the systematic importance of joints of the tarsi, 
and he is the first to acknowledge that the species with 
the three jointed tarsi form a well separated group, as 
well as the primary division of the group into two sec- 
tions according to the pubescence on the wings, which 
is still maintained. | : 
Ashmead writes (I. c. p. 359), that the Oligositini 
very much resemble certain species of the Zulophine, 
especially with regard to the hairs on the wings. When 
considering the thousands of the 7richogrammine | have 
had in my collecting tubes in the course of the years, I 
find it difficult to follow this remark, as these insects are 
so characteristic in their appearance, that they cannot be 
confounded with others. It is nearly always possible to 
distinguish them with the naked eye, and a quite low 
power lens will at once disclose their identity. The only 
mistake I make now and then, with the naked eye, is to 
take an Aphelinus for a Trichogrammine, but a lens will 
at once reveal the fact, and all the large quantity of spe- 
cimens of which my collection consists, have been taken 
out of my net without the assistance of a lens. 
Great difficulties are experienced in collecting most of 
the species of these small Chalcid-flies, it being naturally 
easiest to get those species whose host is known, but un- 
fortunatly so very few of the hosts are known. A syste- 
matical collecting of insect eggs would doubtless give a 
wonderful result, and especially those eggs laid on or in 
low plants. But how often are such eggs found? I have 
tried myself, by lying down in the grass at a spot where 
I was sure that many of these Chalcid flies occurred and 
for hours searched in such places, but always in vain. 
