198 Mr. F. Smith 07i the Parasitism 



imagined, the Rhipiphorus-Xoxya. ceased to feed before it had 

 drained the juices of its victim to the point of death ; the 

 wasp-larva, being at a stage of its existence when it no longer 

 eats, does not, of course, avenge itself. The struggles of the 

 wasp-larva in these uneasy circumstances, and its semiflaccid 

 condition, would easily account for, and render possible, its 

 change of position in the two instances in which that had 

 occurred. 



The difficulties which have surrounded the elucidation of 

 the life-history of Rhi^nphorus may all, I think, be traced to 

 the very short interval that elapses between the laying of the 

 Qgg and the arrival of the insect at the pupal state. They 

 appear to assume the pupal state almost as soon as the sur- 

 rounding wasp-grubs; yet the eggs were only laid when these 

 latter were beginning to spin. This allows a very brief period 

 during which they must be found, if these stages are to be 

 observed. Mr. JMurray has failed to do so, probably because 

 he did not examine the nests until such a period had elapsed 

 after the nests were taken. I also failed, because, when my 

 opportunities were most abundant, I did not know wliat to 

 look for. As a similar instance among the Chrysides^ I may 

 mention the Qgg of Glirysis neglecta^ which I have never been 

 able to find. I find young larvas only, and have satisfied 

 myself that the egg-state does not last as much as twenty-four 

 hours. In the instance I have mentioned above of Chrysis 

 ignita, the egg-state cannot have lasted so long. 



XX. — Concluding Observations on the Parasitism of Rhipi- 

 phorus paradoxus. By Frederick Smith, Assistant in 

 the Zoological Department of the British Museum. 



With some degree of hesitation, I venture to reassert my 

 belief in the views I put forth in reply to Mr. Mm-ray's first 

 paper on the relations between wasps and Rhipiphori. I have 

 some fear of being considered dogmatic, and of not duly 

 weighing the arguments offered to my notice by my friend 

 Mr. Andrew Murray. I must, however, confess myself to be 

 unconverted by his arguments, and unable to arrive at the 

 same conclusions that he does when commenting upon the 

 various phenomena which were presented to him when exa- 

 mining the comb of a wasps' nest. It will perhaps be a matter 

 of astonishment that he has failed in his endeavour to bring 

 me round; and it is equally surprising, but at the same time 

 consolatory, to find Mr. Murray expressing the opinion that, 

 should a larva of Rh{pij)hortis '' fall upon a larva of the wasp. 



