30 



tonded as a framework to strengthen it so as to protect the 

 egg- still'inore fnlly from injnry in being swallowed." 



From tlio fact that the eggs cracked open with a snap when 

 l)ressnre was applied, and that many maggots escaped safely, 

 il occnrred that possibly the normal method of hatching for 

 these eggs is by the pressure of the mandibles of the cater- 

 pillar in biting the leaves on which the eggs -have l)een laid. 

 Accordingly, several caterpillars were killed immediately after 

 they had eaten qnite a number of eggs that had been placed 

 close together on a bit of leaf, and in each case the little 

 maggots were fonnd to have already escaped from the eggs 

 and were crawling about amongst the bits of leaf in the crop 

 of the cater])illar. By the shells being cracked thus by the 

 mandibles of the caterpillar, the young maggots escape imme- 

 diately from the eggs and can proceed to bore thru the wall of 

 the alimentary canal, before being carried away along with the 

 frass. 



From this, it seems to me, that the jnirjwse of the thickened 

 egg-shell is to ])rotect the enchased maggot from drying u]) too 

 soon, if it should hap])en to remain on the leaf for any length 

 of time before being eaten by a caterjnllar ; and secondly, that 

 the egg may sjdit open under the pressure of the caterpillar's 

 mandibles, allowing the maggot to esca]ie safely instead of be- 

 ing crushed in the egg, as it would be if the egg were soft. 



KOEBELE.'S ICHNEUMOX. 



Ichneumon l-oehelei n. sp. 

 Plate III, fig. 7. 



9 , ferruginous; eyes, apical half of antennae, dot between an- 

 tenna and eye, tips of mandibles, most of the sutures of thorax, 

 petiole beneath, and a narrow band at base of second and third 

 abdominal segments, black; wings somewhat infuscated, stigma 

 yellowish. Head and thorax h'nely punctured and clothed with 

 fine pubescence. Scutellum very feebly punctured, shining, broader 

 in front, a carina extending from each anterior angle along side 

 of scutum; postscutellum narrow, transverse, shining, separated 

 from scutellum by a furrow. Areae of metathorax well defined, 

 punctate, sides longitudinally striate. Postpetiole broad, finely 

 longitudinally striate. Second and third abdominal segments fine- 



