seeds of Ficus Sijcomorus and Carica. 55 



filaments of the oviijositor are seen to be curled under 

 the body, and to extend in front of and backwards over 

 the head). 



Blastophaga Psenes. (Plates IV. and V.) 



Cijnips Psenes, Linn., Syst. Nat. i., p. 919. 

 C. Sijcomori, Linn. Mus. {exparte) ; Westw., Trans. Ent. 

 Soc. Lond vol. ii., p. 221 {Blastophaga Sycomori). 

 BlasUyphaga gwssorum, Gravenhorst. 



Description of the male. — Specimens of the males of this 

 species were preserved with the females in the Linnean 

 Cabinet, agreeing with the specimens reared from Corfu 

 and Montpellier figs by Sir Sidney Saunders, which have 

 afforded me the means of supplying so extensive a series 

 of illustrations of this most anomalous creature. It is 

 about a line long, and of a fulvous colour, so that it is 

 with difficulty observed lying amongst the seeds of the 

 fig of Ficus Carica. Fig. 32 shows the general appear- 

 ance of the insect, with the extremity of its body curved 

 beneath the breast ; fig. 33 represents it more magni- 

 fied, and lying a little on one side ; fig. 34 shows the 

 abdomen stretched out horizontally ; and fig. 35 the 

 same part, with all the very retractile segments of the 

 male organ extended to their full length, drawn from a 

 living specimen. 



The head is small and rounded, with two black lateral 

 nearly rounded eyes ; the front margin of the head is 

 truncated, with an angular impression in the centre. 



The mandibles are small, but strong and subquadrate, 

 with two acute teeth at the apex (fig. 42). The other 

 parts of the mouth appear to be entirely wanting. 



The antennae are very small (fig. 50), and consist of 

 three joints, of which the first and second are obconic 

 and nearly equal in size, the second having its basal 

 portion on the inside more emarginate; the terminal 

 joint is ovate, with a number of small bristles near the 

 apex. The thorax is rather oblong, convex, with the 

 prothoracic portion or collar very large ; the mesothorax 

 narrow and short ; the metathorax longer, transverse, 

 with a deep impression on each side (apparently to allow 

 the ujjward free motion of the posterior cox^), and with a 

 spiracle distinctly visible behind each lateral impression. 



There is not the slightest trace of wings or wing- 



