of the Ilymcno-pteroiLS genera Cleptes, &fC. 467 



described a new species from Madagascar, and Brulle, in 

 the "Histoire Naturelle des Insectes Hymenopteres," 

 enumerates three species, — -S'. splendidum, S. calens, and 

 the S. viride of Guerin. Dahlbom,in his elaborate mono- 

 graph, also gives three species, but he overlooks Guerin's 

 species altogether ; he describes a species, *S'. fFesjnaeli, 

 as new, but which is, in my opinion, a variety of the male 

 of »S'. amethystiiia. Dr. Gcrstaecker is of opinion that 

 iS'. splendidum of Brulle and Dahlbom, and S. calens of Fa- 

 bricius, constitute but a single species, and in this opinion 

 I coincide. There is a distinctive difference in coloration, 

 which is fi'equent in S. calens, but which I have never 

 seen in the exotic specimens ; but I know of no structural 

 character or difference in sculpture that would warrant 

 their separation. In a large series of ^S'. calens, sj^ecimcns 

 of a burnished coppery splendour are found, having only 

 the apical segment of the abdomen blue ; others have the 

 head and thorax blue and green, with the abdomen cop- 

 pery ; such varieties I have not found in Asiatic or Afi-ican 

 specimens, but among the latter are found examples entirely 

 of a deep blue colour. 



One of the principal objects that I have in writing the 

 present paper is to rectify the unavoidable errors Avhich 

 Hymenopterists have committed; in the second place, I am 

 desirous of describing a few beautiful species of Chnjsl- 

 didce Avhlch are not in Dahlbom's work. 



The type specimens of Fabricius's species, preservedin 

 the Banksian collection, are now deposited in the British 

 Museum ; a careful examination of them enables me to 

 correct former errors. It is acknowledged that the de- 

 scriptions of Fabricius are frequently too succinct and 

 devoid of specific distinctions to enable the student to 

 identify his species. The descriptions of many of the 

 elder Entomologists may have served in their day for the 

 discrimination of a species from the few by Avhich it was 

 then surrounded, but they are, in the present state of our 

 knowledge, totally inadequate for that pur]wse. 



Of the genus Stilbum, Fabricius, under the genenc 

 name Chrysis, described two species, C. splendida and C. 

 amethystina, the latter being the insect hitherto regarded 

 as his C. splendida. On referring to the " feystema Fnto- 

 mologiaj" the first descriptions of these specie^ are found, 

 C. splendida being placed at the head of the genus it 

 is distinguished fl-om all the rest by the appellation 

 « Mao-na^" ; the smallest having the prefix 1 arva ; this 



