450 Mr. Fred. Enock on 



tiny hair and the long cilia resembling brilliant silver. It 

 was a most fascinating object to any one, and speaking for 

 myself, I had never before seen anything to compare with 

 its deUcate fairy-like structure. I then and there 

 determined to know more about its relatives. Next day 

 I searched the spiders' webs in my garden at Holloway 

 and found quite a number of several species, which 1 

 mounted in Canada balsam. 



During August and September of that year, 1879, I 

 obtained from the same source, and running up windows 

 in houses and conservatories, some dozens of specimens — 

 which our fellow member and then Secretary, Mr. E. A. 

 Fitch, named for me and set me in the right track for 

 further information — but this was too soon exhausted, and 

 though I made great efforts to discover what had become 

 of Haliday's and Walker's MSS. I utterly failed — but 

 went on adding to my collection. 



On removal in 1882 to Woking I very soon found I was 

 in the land of plenty for Mymaridae, which simply 

 swarmed on the windows of the house and in a very small 

 conservatory — where I caught seven of the new genera 

 which I am introducing for the first time to-night. 



In 1895, at last, I heard that Haliday's Type Collection 

 of Mymaridae was in possession of the Dublin Museum, 

 and which, by the great kindness of Dr. Scharf, I was 

 permitted to examine at my leisure, " all that was left of 

 them," less than one hundred. 



It was a most disappointing examination, for of the 

 special type wanted not one was to be found — only the 

 very commonest species remained, and they were so 

 encrusted with dirt and crystals of sorts that it was utterly 

 impossible to identify species. Before returning the 

 collection, I made most careful drawings under the 

 microscope of the wings of every specimen which had 

 wings left, as I consider they will prove to be the best 

 guide to classifying the species. I must not dismiss 

 Haliday's Collection without mention of one specimen, 

 which Haliday has named Pantlvus, showing a peculiarity 

 of the marginal branch. Dr, Scharf gave me permission 

 to remove this specimen from the card, and mount it in 

 Canada balsam, and when under the microscope I was 

 enabled to identify it with Walker's description of the 

 genus Limacis, the balsam bringing out the number of 

 joints in antennae and tarsi in its own peculiar way. 



