124 FAMILY SIRIOID^. 



broad yellow bands, and the second cellule is distinctly 

 longer compared to the third. 



Kare. St. Albans (Marshall). London district and 

 Bristol (Stephens). 



Family SIRICDXE. 



The species belonging to this family have globular 

 heads, often dilated behind, many jointed, setaceous or 

 filiform antenna3 inserted between the eyes, and not far 

 from the clypeus ; strong, three-toothed mandibles, weak 

 lower mouth organs with few joints in their palpi ; a 

 well-developed prothorax, mesothorax large, with a 

 transverse line in front of the scutellum ; a cylindrical 

 abdomen in the females at least, and a strong, horny 

 projecting ovipositor, which has the boring part 

 soldered closely ; the anterior tibiae have only one spur, 

 the transverse basal nervure is always received in the 

 first cubital cellule ; the body is hard and leathery in 

 texture, and lastly, the larvae are wood borers and 

 have no ventral legs, but a spine on the apex of the 

 abdomen. 



The points of distinction between the Siricidds and 

 Tenthredmidse are not very numerous ; in fact they are 

 limited to three. Some Tenthredinidse have multi- 

 articulate antennae, others, e. g. Lophyroides, Decameria 

 have the labium entire, and have palpi and maxillae not 

 unlike those of Sir ex, the palpi, too, having few joints ; 

 in Pamphilius, &c., the transverse basal nervure is 

 received in the cubital cellule ; that genus, also, has 

 larvae not unlike those of Sirex ; if Oephus is not to be 

 regarded as a Siricid the one spined anterior tibiae is 

 not peculiar to them, Cephus having an elongated 

 ovipositor. The really distinctive characters then of 

 the SiricidsB are : 



(1) A hard, strong outer skin. 



(2) A transverse line at the base of scutellum, and 



