( XV ) 



Sir S. S. Saunders' arguments (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1883, pp. 10 — 

 20) for placing tlie Ayaoiddce in the Cynipiilce, aside from showing the 

 relationship of these groups in the ovipositor and ventral valve (characters 

 which are not distinctive of the family) prove nothing, for he shows no unity 

 in the antennae and wings, the fig-insects agreeing with the Chalcldido} in 

 these organs. In the sliglit curve of the ovipositor the iig-insects clearly 

 resemble the Clialcids more than the Cynipids; but it is useless to argue 

 this point, for there is no essential difference in the ovipositor of the two 

 families, the structure and general form of the ovipositor being alike in 

 both, as a comparison of Cynips and Eurytoma will readily show. 



Regarding Sir S. S. Saunders' observation that the ovipositor of the 

 Agaonid(£ differs from that of Calliinome in having the fifth ventral seg- 

 ment serve as the ventral valve, it may be said that he has himself ably 

 shown that the ovipositor arises in this position in Halticella and Idarnclla, 

 which go with Calliinome in the ChalcididcB. His new genera show an 

 important character in having the fifth ventral segment form the tip of the 

 abdomen, but it should be noted that in Cynij)^ itself, however it may be 

 in Rhodites and the Figitides, this segment is not prolonged, but is like 

 that of Halticella. 



The CynipidcB have straight, slender antennae, with never less than 

 thirteen distinct joints. The Agaonidce have elbowed, more or less clavate 

 antennae, with never more than twelve joints. In the Sycocolacides, as in 

 some otlier Chalcididce, there are, it is true, thirteen joints in the elbowed 

 antennae of the female ; but to count this number we must enumerate the 

 annulations of the club, as in Sycophaga, and also the annulations between 

 the second and third joints proper, as in Idarnodes. In the CynijndcB the 

 wings have the radial and cubital cells complete, except in a few genera, 

 like Onychia, in which these cells are still distinctly outlined and the basal 

 transverse vein present. In the fig-insects no wing-cells are formed. Tlie 

 peculiar dentate claspers of male Agaonidui are like those of ChalcididcB , 

 but the CynipidcB, as far as known, have claspers of the form usual in other 

 families of Hymenoptera. 



The elbowed antennae and absence of closed wing-cells are the characters 

 distinctive of the ChalcididcB with respect to the Cynipidce, and these 

 characters exclude the fig-insects from the CynipidcR. The venation of 

 Eupilstina, whicli Sir S. S. Saunders cites as an exception, is as distinctly 

 Chalcidian as that of Chalcis itself, and bears not the slightest resemblance 

 to that of any Cynipid. A wingless male is unknown among the gall-flies, 

 while in the Chalcididce we already liad Antho]ihurahia. 



Tlie following characters define tlie Agaonidm : — 



Female. Head with two longitudinal grooves and witli recurved occipital 

 spine. Mandible with a serrate appendage. JVL'ntum wiili leaf-like append- 

 age. Antennae 10 — 12 jointed ; Jhd joint produced externally into a spine 



