INSECTS 



The county of Leicester does not take an important place in regard to 

 the number of its species of insects. Many interesting forms occur both 

 in the Coleoptera and Lepidoptera which have been well worked out, 

 but owing to the absence of specialists in the other orders the records are 

 very scanty. 



The greater part of the county is arable and pasture land in a high state 

 of cultivation, but on the whole it is well wooded. Charnwood Forest, 

 which includes well-known localities like Buddon Wood, Bardon Hill, and 

 Bradgate Park, is perhaps the richest district in the matter of records, pro- 

 bably because it has been more worked than other districts. Owston Wood, 

 on the Rutland border, with its varied flora, produces a number of species 

 not found in other parts of the county. Seal Wood, Grange Wood, and the 

 Ambien Wood, in the neighbourhood of Sutton Cheney, are all good collect- 

 ing ground. 



The following abbreviations have been adopted throughout the lists in 

 this article, viz. : c. denotes common ; v.c., very common or abundant ; 

 n.c., not common ; r., rare or scarce ; v.r., very rare ; and gen. dist., generally 

 distributed. 



I have to express my thanks, for valuable assistance received, to 

 Mr. H. St.J. Donisthorpe, F.Z.S., F.E.S., Rev. Canon Cruttwell, M.A., 

 Rev. G. W. Whittingham, Prof. Hudson Beare, Mr. W. A. Vice, M.B., 

 Mr. G. B. Dixon, F.E.S., Mr. W. J. Kaye, F.E.S., Mr. C. B. Headly, F.E.S., 

 Mr. G. B. Chalcraft, Dr. W. H. Barrow, Mr. J. H. Wooley, Mr. H. Holy- 

 oak, and others, for notes on the various orders. I have also had the 

 advantage of the use of notes made by the late Rev. A. Matthews and 

 Mr. J. Weildt. 



HYMENOPTERA 



Ants, Wasps, Bees, &c. 



So far as is known Leicestershire has never been systematically worked with regard to its 

 hymenoptera. A few bees and wasps have been taken from time to time in different parts of the 

 county, and that is all that has been done. The hymenopterist has here full scope for his energies 

 and need not anticipate much rivalry in this field of research. 



The members of the Psythorus and Crabro families are well represented and generally 

 abundant, as are also some of the Andrena, Nomada, and Fossores. Ichneumons are abundant but 

 practically nothing is known of them. 



It is not intended to put the following notes forward in any way as a list, but it is 

 certainly advisable to show what has been done, or rather, in this case, what has' not been 



