326 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



^__ . . -i i,ii . 



The ichneumon manifestator. 



cond, which was constrained to undergo the like 

 operation, and so on to all the rest. She never 

 deposited more than one egg in each larva: and 

 when she was remarked to mount one that had 

 been pricked before, she soon discovered her 

 mistake and left it. The size of the two insects 

 is so nearly alike, that one young only can be 

 nourished by a single larva; and therefore instinct 

 teaches the parent ichneumons to deposit only 

 this number in each* 



The ichneumon manifestator is about an inch 

 in length from the head to the extremity of the 

 abdomen : the tail measures near an inch and a 

 half, and the antennae somewhat more than half 

 an inch. The body is black, and the legs are 

 dusky. The abdomen is cylindrical and sessile, 

 not being connected with the thorax, as in se- 

 veral of the species, by a pedicle. 



This diminutive animal is particularly attentive 

 to the preservation of its offspring. All the ich- 

 neumons deposit their eggs in the body of some 

 other creature as a nidus; Mr. Marsham, how- 

 ever, observed one of the above species on the 

 top of a post in Kensington Gardens, which 

 moved rapidly along, having its antenna bent in 

 the form of an arch ; and, with a strong vibratory 

 motion in them, felt about until it came to a hole 

 made by some insect, into which it thrust them 

 quite to the head. It remained about a minute 

 in this situation apparently very busy, and then, 

 drawing its antennse out, came round to the op- 

 4 



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