(ai ALi) 
VILL. Observations on the Hymenopterous genus Sclero- 
derma, Klug, and some allied groups. By J. O. 
Westwoop, M.A., F.L.S., &e. 
[Read March 2nd, 1881. | 
THe interesting memoir of Sir Sidney $. Saunders, 
making us clearly acquainted, for the first time, with the 
parasitic economy of the genus Scleroderma, together 
with a careful examination of the various microscopical 
preparations which that gentleman has made of the more 
important organs of both sexes, as exhibited in a new 
species of the genus, have enabled me to clear up some 
errors which had crept into my monograph of the genus 
read forty-five years ago, and published in the second 
volume of our ‘ Transactions.’ It has also afforded me 
an opportunity of adding to our knowledge of the species, 
some of which are highly interesting in a physiological 
point of view; to the descriptions of which I have added 
the characters of some other allied insects, the morpho- 
logical characters of which, on the confines of the 
Heterogynous Aculeata, and some of the most aberrant 
groups of the Entomophagous Terebrantia, render them 
especial objects of the attention of the systematic 
hymenopterist. 
In the characters which I gave of the genus (Trans. Ent. 
Soc. u., 164), an unfortunate typographical error occurs 
respecting the number of joints in the antenne of the 
females, which are therein stated to be ‘‘ 10-articulate ”’ 
instead of 13-articulate. This is the more unfortunate 
as the number of joints in the antenne of the Procto- 
trupide constitutes one of the most important characters 
of the genera. In the figures however accompanying 
my monograph, these organs are correctly represented 
as 13-jointed (Plate XV., fig. 10a and 11 bd). A certain 
amount of modification must also be made in the 
description of the mandibles, as will be shown in a later 
paragraph of the present paper, where also a minute 
account of the structure of the oviduct and its appendages 
is given, and the venation of the wings illustrated. 
The most important correction which requires to be 
made in my monograph has reference to the descriptions 
TRANS. ENT. Soc. 1881.—PART I. (APRIL.) 
