NOTES ON HYMENOPTEUA. 87 



bable that this insect is the parasite of some species of Nociua 

 — I think, certainly, of some Lepidopterous insect, since Mr. 

 Bakewell obtained species of Thijnnidoe from cocoons of 

 moths in Australia, and Methoca is the only known repre- 

 sentative of that family hitherto taken in this country. 



The extremely local and rare parasitic bee, Nomada ar- 

 mata, also occurred in the same locality as the above insects ; 

 but Mr. Pascoe failed to discover the Coelloxjjs Vectis, 

 one of the most abundant insects when I last visited the 

 Isle of Wight. 



I stated, at the beginning of these Notes, that I had no 

 species new to the? British list to chronicle, and, strictly 

 speaking, such is the fact ; but I have to announce the pro- 

 bable discovery of a genus and species not hitherto recorded 

 in our lists; its history is briefly told. 



In October last, I visited Penzance; and, whilst there, 

 met with an inhabitant who had on two or three occasions 

 visited the insect- room at the British Museum; the lady 

 requested the favour of my naming a few flies of her own 

 capturing, principally in Cornwall; of course I was rejoiced 

 to do so ; when I received the box I saw, what I took at 

 once to be a North American insect, a species of Polistes. 

 I named the insects the night before I left, and queried the 

 PolisteSy as well as a species of Bomhus having been taken 

 in Cornwall; my correspondent's own words shall answer 

 my doubts: — "The Polisies was caught alive, by myself, 

 on the window-sill of our house, in the summer of 1866. 

 This year I caught three more, about the same tinie, the last 

 week in July and the first week in August, in the very 

 same situation in the window of our house. Two of these 

 are still in my possession, — the third, not wanting so many, 

 I let go. Their languid movements, so much in contrast 

 with their fierce appearance, their entire strangeness to me. 



