58 Mr. N. Annandaie on the Stages of a Corcid Bug. 



joint and a pale-coloured, pear-shaped distal one. If this 

 attribution is correct the species is almost certainly Daladcr 

 acuticosta, Amyot et Serv., as this is the only representative 

 of the genus known from Lower Bengal, where it is not 

 uncommon. 



II. 



On August 20th I found seven more eggs of the same 

 species attached directly to the bark of the same tree at 

 Alipur. A few days later I dissected six of them. Each 

 was occupied by a small, black Hymenopteron, already 

 fully formed but enveloped in a delicate membrane. It 

 lay on its belly in the egg, with its head bent down beneath 

 the level of its thorax. The anterior edge of the thorax 

 was directed towards the operculum but was not in contact 

 with it. A sub-triangular, whitish mass covered the dorsal 

 surface of the abdomen, but was not in organic connection 

 with it. Possibly this was all that remained of the proper 

 occupant of the egg-shell which the Hymenopteron had 

 devoured. A similar parasite was hatched from the seventh 

 egg but unfortunately escaped. 



In the collection of the Indian Museum I have recently 

 come across a third clutch of eggs, attached to the leaf of a 

 sugar cane. With them are the Hymenoptera bred from 

 them, evidently belonging to the same species. By a very 

 natural error the egg-shells are entered in the Museum 

 register as being the cocoons of the parasite. 



I do not know of any other case in which a Hymeno- 

 pteron has been recorded as parasitic on the eggs of a 

 Heteropteron, though other members of the same family 

 are known to infest the egg-cases of cockroaches. The 

 eggs of the species under consideration are probably very 

 minute indeed and may be introduced through one of the 

 micropyles. No other aperture could be detected in 

 parasitized eggs. It is evident that the shells are firm 

 when the infested eggs are laid, as their base does not 

 preserve a cast of the surface to which they adhere. 



The specimens of the parasite examined are in a poor 

 state of preservation. They belong to the family Chaleididte 

 in its wider application : further it would be ridiculous for 

 one^who is not a specialist in the group to go. 



