2Krttonarn of &mmatrlr $ature. 649 



construction, although consisting of but a 

 few joints. Mr. Kirby (says Mr. Westwood) 

 noticed the analogy which existed between 

 the antennae of some of these insects and 

 many Coleoptera and Hymenoptera which 

 have branching or furcate antennae. But it 

 is to be observed, that, with the exception of 

 a very few, antennae thus constructed are 

 found only amongst male insects ; and hence 

 it appears not improbable that all the winged 

 individuals of this order yet discovered are 

 males, all exhibiting a complicated structure 

 in their antennae. The true wings, which 

 are very large and membranous, are attached 

 at the anterior lateral angles of the meta- 

 thorax, and can be folded up longitudinally 

 at the sides of the body. The legs are mo- 

 derately long, and rather weak, but the coxae 

 ! of the two anterior pairs are elongated, giving 

 ; them considerable powers of motion. The 

 ; femora are simple ; the tibia; not furnished 

 ; with spurs ; and the tarsal joints are fur- 

 nished beneath with large fleshy cushions, 

 without any terminal ungues. These in- 

 sects, in their early states, are parasitic in 

 the bodies of various bees and waaps ; the 

 larva, when full-grown, protruding its head 

 between the abdominal segments of these 

 insects, appearing, at first sight like a small 

 flattened acarus. 



Mr. Kirby's account of the discovery of 

 these insects, and of the bursting forth of 

 the imago, is, in Mr. Westwood's opinion, so 

 interesting, that he gladly avails himself of 

 the following extract. After mentioning 

 that he had repeatedly observed something 

 upon the abdomen of various Andjenae, 

 which he had at first regarded as a kind of 

 acarus, he at length determined to examine 

 and describe one of them : " But what was 

 my astonishment when, upon attempting to 

 disengage it with a pin, I drew forth from 

 the body of the bee a white fleshy larva a 

 quarter of an inch long, the head of which 

 I had mistaken for an acarus. How this 

 animal receives its nourishment seems a 

 mystery. Upon examining the head under 

 a strong magnifier, I could not discover any 

 mouth or proboscis with which it might per- 

 forate the corneous covering of the abdomen, 

 and so support itself by suction : on the 

 ! under side of the head, at its junction with 

 the body, there was a concavity ; but I could 

 observe nothing in this but a uniform un- 

 broken surface. As the body of the animal 

 * is inserted in the body of the bee, does that 

 i part receive its nutriment from it by ab- 

 ; sorption ? After I had examined one spe- 

 ; cimen, I attempted to extract a second ; and 

 the reader may imagine how greatly my 

 astonishment was increased when, after I 

 had drawn it out but a little way, I saw its 

 skin burst, and a head as black as ink, with 

 large staring eyes and antennae, consisting 

 of two branches, break forth, and move itself 

 briskly from side to side. It looked like a 

 little imp of darkness just emerging from 

 the infernal regions. I was impatient to 

 become better acquainted with so singular 

 a creature. When it was completely dis- 

 engaged, and I had secured it from making 

 ! its escape, I set myself to examine it as ac- 

 curately as possible ; and I found, after a 



careful inquiry, that I had not only got a 

 nondescript, but also an insect of a new 

 genus, whose very class [orderj seemed du- 

 bious." 



" In the perfect state, these insects are but 

 short-lived, delicate creatures. Mr. Dale, 

 who has been very fortunate in his disco- 

 veries of this order, thus describes the pro- 

 ceedings of one which he caught flying, on 

 the 7th of May, over a quickset hedge of a 

 garden. It looked milk-white on the wing, 

 with a jet-black body, and totally unlike 

 any thing else ; it flew with an undulating 

 or vacillating motion amongst the young 

 shoots, and I could not catch It till it settled 

 on one, when it ran up and down, its wings 

 in motion, and making a considerable buzz 

 or hum, as loud as a Sesia ; it twisted about 

 its rather long tail, and turned it up like a 

 Staphylinus. I put it under a glass, and 



C laced it in the sun ; it became quite furious 

 i its confinement, and never ceased running 

 about for two hours. The elytra, or pro- 

 cesses were kept in quick vibration as well 

 as the wings ; it buzzed against the sides of 

 the glass, with its head touching it. and tum- 

 bled about on its back. By putting two bees 

 (Andrena labialis) under a glass in the sun, 

 two Stylops were produced : the bees seemed 

 uneasy, and went up towards them, but evi- 

 ili-iitl v with caution, as if to fight ; and 

 moving their antennas towards them, re- 

 treated. I once thought the bee attempted 

 to seize it ; but the oddest thing was to see 

 the Stylops get on the body of the bee and 

 ride about, the latter using every effort to 

 throw his rider." These insects appear at 

 different times of the year, and seem widely 

 distributed. 



To the foregoing we should add, that in 

 the ' Anniversary Address delivered at the 

 Entomological &>ciety, Feb. 10. 184.'), by the 

 President, G. Newport, Esq., F. R. S_' it 

 was shown, from the discoveries of Dr. Sicbold 

 of Erlangen, that the Strepeiptcra undergo 

 a singular metamorphosis ; that the males 

 and females differ from each other, the me- 

 tamorphosis of the males being complete, 

 they alone being furnished with wings : the 

 females, on the contrary, have neither legs, 

 wings, nor eyes, and greatly reiemble larva:. 

 These females are viviparous, and never quit 

 the bodies of the Hymenoptera in which 

 they live as parasites. The young Strep- 

 siptera, at the moment that they burst the 

 eggs in which they are developed within 

 the body of the parent, have six legs, and 

 are furnished with organs of manducation. 



STRIGOPS. A remarkable genus of 

 Scansorial birds belonging to the Parrot fa- 

 mily, which at first sight has a strong re- 

 semblance to an Owl. It was established by 

 Mr. G. Gray for the reception of a species in 

 the British Museum, to which he has given 

 the name of Strigops habroptilus. It is of a 

 greenish colour, mottled and streaked with 

 black ; and from a letter of Mr. Strange, 

 read at the Zoological Society, it appears . 

 that in New Zealand, where it is very rare, ! 

 it is called Kakapo, and is nocturnal in its ; 

 habits; resorting in the day-time to burrows i 

 formed under the roots of trees, or to large I 



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