British Braconidce. 5 



and the occiimt (the concave, vertical, hinder surface of 

 the head), and is bounded on either side by an imaginary 

 line drawn from the inner margin of the eye. 



The stcnimaticum is the space on the vertex (generally 

 triangular), in which the ocelli are situated. 



The goue, or cheeks, are the sides of the head between 

 the eyes and the occiput, and are limited above by the 

 vertex. 



The parts of the body in general are formed as in the 

 Ichneumonidce. The head varies greatly in shape from 

 the very broad short head of Microctomis booj^s to the 

 elongate suborbicular head of Histeromcrus mystacinus. 

 The antennae with rare exceptions are filiform or seta- 

 ceous (clavate in llho}ndopliorns claricornis and Aspido- 

 gonus divcrsicornis) and multiarticulate ; the number of 

 joints ranging from 10 in E. clavicornis and Trioxys 

 brevicornis, or 11 in several sj)ecies of Trioa-i/s and 

 Ephcdrus, and in Chremylus rubiginosus, ^ , to upwards 

 of 60 in many FJiogadides, reaching to 71 in Fi. procerus. 

 The antennae are mostly unicolorous, but are ringed with 

 white in Meter ogamus dispar, ? , and Ilelcon anmdicornis, 

 ? , white at the base in Perilitus albicornis, $ , and pale 

 in several species. In a few cases they are hairy 

 {Aspidogonus divcrsicornis and Microctonus plumicornis) 

 and occasionally geniculate {Streblocera, Eutanycerus, and 

 Rhopxdophorus). The antennae of the females are shorter, 

 stouter, and usually with fewer joints, than those of 

 the males. The number of joints is determinate in a few 

 groups, as the Microgasteridcs and Blacides ; more 

 commonly it varies to a small extent, even in individuals 

 of the same species. The disk of the mesothorax 

 commonly exhibits a trilobed appearance, being divided 

 by two superficial furrows converging towards the scu- 

 tellum. The 3 lobes correspond with large interior 

 bundles of muscles, and their external appearance or 

 absence should be noticed. The sculpture of the meta- 

 thorax is often an important character. Sometimes it 

 is divided by one or more carinas or raised lines into 

 compartments, but less regularly than in the Ichneumons. 

 The first abdominal segment is either petiolated, sub- 

 sessile, or sessile, smooth or rugulose : the legs are like 

 those of the Ichneumons, the trochanters are biarticu- 

 late, and all the tarsi 5-jointed. The terebra is of 

 variable length, either entirely concealed, as in CJiclonus, 

 or longer than the body, as in Vipio. Bracon penetraior, 



