HABITS OF IMAGOS. 23 



they are most partial to are Ranunculacece, Umbel- 

 liferce, Rosacece, and Compositce. The flower- visiting 

 species belong mostly to Tentkredo and Allantus ; next 

 in order we have Hylotoma, Cephas, Athalia, Dolerus > 

 and last of all Nematus, which are very seldom found 

 on flowers. Selandria serva is often seen on Umbel- 

 liferce; Tarpa on Compositce; Abia on UmbeUiferw and 

 Compositce ; Tenthredo Hvida I have noticed to have a 

 partiality for Rubus idceus ; various species of 

 Dolerus (which are the earliest in the season to appear) 

 are not uncommonly observed on willow catkins. I 

 have a specimen of Atlialia hcematopus (a South- 

 African species) with pollinia of an orchid attached 

 to the fore tarsi. 



Many of the smaller species especially those of 

 Blennocampa, Fenusa, and some of the smaller species 

 of Nematus, have a habit, when alarmed in any way, of 

 tucking the antennas, legs, and wings, close to the body, 

 and falling to the ground as if dead ; and often they 

 remain some minutes in this position before making an 

 attempt to escape. This seems to be the only peculiar 

 method they have of escaping from their enemies, 

 except the usual ones of flight, &c., and, in the case of 

 Trichiosoma and other larger forms, of using the 

 mandibles on whatever attacks them. 



Beyond depositing the eggs in the proper nidus, the 

 females, in the great majority of species, take no 

 further care of their progeny, and generally die imme- 

 diately after oviposition. An interesting exception to 

 this is found in the case of a Tasmanian species of 

 Perga (P. Leioisii, W.), which deposits its eggs in a 

 longitudinal incision between the two surfaces of the 

 leaves of an Eucalyptus, close to the midrib, arranged 

 across in a double row, there being about eighty eggs 

 in all. The mother sits over them with outstretched 

 legs, and when the larvse make their appearance she 

 follows them, defending them with great assiduity from 

 the attacks of Ichneumons and other enemies. 



I am not aware of any internal parasites attacking 



