172 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and thickest ; remaininp; joints cylindric, about thrice as long 

 as thick, ifarrowed at their bases and cut off transversely at 

 their tips, separated by short pedicles ; last joint longer usually 

 than its predecessor, egg-shaped. Thorax broader than the 

 head, more deep than wide, egg-shaped, black and shining. 

 Abdomen as long as the thorax but narrower, oval, viewed 

 laterally broadest at the tip, highly polished, brownish black ; 

 first segment narrower and forming a cylindrical pedicle, bright 

 honey-yellow ; a dull yellow or olive band or spot on the suture 

 between the second and third segments. Legs honey-yellow ; 

 feet black, except at their bases, sometimes wholly black, tvith 

 the shanks dusky. Wings transparent, slightly smoky ; veins 

 of the anterior pair coarse, black or dark brown, becoming 

 abruptly more slender, colorless and almost imperceptible on 

 the hind part of the wing; stigma long triangular, salt white ; 

 a single large irregular cell occupying the middle portion of 

 the wing and bordering the stigma on its inner side, a short 

 coarse transverse veinlet bounding this cell at its hind end, the 

 two longitudinal veins between which this veinlet is placed 

 becoming slender and abortive a short distance back of it, the 

 outer vein remaining coarse twice the length that the inner one 

 does, after passing the veinlet." 



The family CJialridkhc^ (from the Greek chalcos, copper, in 

 allusion to the brilliant metallic lustre of many of the species,) 

 contains many insects which arc to be regarded as beneficial, 

 although some are parasitic upon different species of bees and 

 wasps. They are generally of small size, the first joint of the 

 antenna? long and erect, and the remaining joints bent or 

 elbowed at this i)oint ; the hind femora much enlarged or 

 swollen, and toothed beneath, the tibia? have a corresponding 

 curve and fit closely to the under surface of the fcMuora wbon 

 contracted ; the abdomen is generally attached to the thorax 

 by a small peduncle. 



Figure 40 (magnified ; the perpendicular lino 

 shows the length of the body,) represents a spe- 

 cies belonging to the genus Chdicis of Fabricius, 

 which I have never seen described. The ])revail- 

 ing color of this insect is lemon-yellow, inclin- 

 ing to greenish, anterior and middle pairs of feet 

 j)aler ; anteniiie thirteen jointed, black with 

 *''^" short close pile, except the basal joint, which is 



