83 Rev. T. A. Marshall's monograph of 



permanently testaceous variety appears to exist in some of the 

 species. 



The Meteori are nearly related to the preceding group, 

 but present a more advanced structure ; transitional 

 forms may be looked for among exotic species, and one 

 such has been mentioned in the note on Wesmaelia 

 {Euplwrid>:s, genus vi., ante). Some of them are among 

 our larger Braconids, and their petiolated abdomen and 

 exserted terebra give them much the appearance of 

 certain Ichneumonidce, e. g., Mesochorus, a genus which 

 furnishes some of their hyperparasites. The large 

 testaceous Meteori have also a strong resemblance to the 

 insects of the genus Ophion or Paniscus. Some atten- 

 tion is required to distinguish them from the three 

 species of Zele hereafter to be described among the 

 Macroccntridts : the best distinction lies in the 1st 

 abdominal segment, which, although very slender in the 

 genus Zele, is not petiolated, having the spiracular 

 tubercles close to the base. 



Few of the insects of this genus are mentioned by the 

 older authors : DeGeer, in 1771, noticed pensile cocoons, 

 which were white, in the neighbourhood of the nests of 

 Bombyx processioned, L. (Mem., ii.,xi., p. 449) : Latreiile, 

 Spinola, and Nees von Esenbeck in his earlier writings 

 did not distinguish them from Ichneumon and Braeon. 

 The last-named writer, in 1834, effected their separation 

 as a section of his PeriUtus, and brought together in his 

 monograph 13 species, of which 12 are genuine. Haliday, 

 in 1835, with the assistance of Curtis, described 17 

 British species, and in the same year 23 Belgian species 

 were published by YTesinael. The latest and most 

 important work upon the subject is a posthumous paper 

 by Buthe. published by Reinhard in the Berl. ent. Zeits. 

 for 1802 i pp. 1 — 5S^, containing 37 species, and preceded 

 by a synoptical table. A few species may also be found 

 in the work of Ratzeburg. 



It has already been shown that PeriUtus, Sectio II., 

 of Nees may with equal propriety be called Meteorus or 

 PeriUtus ; but the preponderance of usage appears to be 

 in favour of Meteorus ; the name is sanctioned by Hali- 

 day, Blanchard, Brulle, and Reinhard, and refers appro- 

 priately by its meaning to the pensile cocoons made by 

 many of the larva?. Zele of Curtis (B. E., 415), if duly 

 authenticated, would be the earliest name, but, while 



