122 A Short Sketch of the Ichneumons. 
Ichneumonites are termed “ Schlupfwespen,” the Braconites being 
“‘ Schlupfwespenverwandte,” or ‘relatives of the Ichneumons.” 
With regard to the name Ichneumon, this appears to be derived 
from the name of an Egyptian animal which was parasitic on the 
crocodile. This creature, which has frequently been mentioned 
in the writings of the ancients, was famed for destroying mice and 
other animals, but appears to have had a great liking for poultry 
also. Itis described asa reddish-grey animal, about 42 inches 
long, with short legs. 
To return to our subject, the Ichneumons have generally 
more or less curly filiform antennz, frequently with a broad belt 
round them. On the head, in addition to the two large 
compound eyes, are three simple eyes, or “ ocelli.” The mouth 
parts are essentially adapted for biting, the mandibles being large 
and powerful, while the labium and tongue are short. 
The thorax is as usual divided into three parts: the pro- 
thorax, mesothorax, and metathorax. To the first are attached 
the front pair of legs, the second bears the fore wings and the 
second pair of legs, while the metathorax carries the hind wings 
and the third pair of legs. The wings are generally covered 
with spines, and in flight the hind wings are connected with the 
front ones by a row of fine hooklets along their anterior margin, 
which catch in a kind of groove along the hind margin of the 
fore-wings in the manner common to all Hymenoptera. ‘The legs 
of ichneumons are long. 
At the extremity of the abdomen will be seen a bristle-like 
appendage. ‘This is the ovipositor. It consists of two sheaths 
andaterebra. This terebra again is formed of three pieces, and 
when these are united it forms a finely-pointed borer, down the 
centre of which the egg is allowed to pass. _As will be gathered 
from the descriptions to follow, the length of this appendage is 
very variable; in some cases it is very great. As arule, those 
ichneumons having long ovipositors attack horny insects. 
The chief distinctive characteristic between the BRACONITES 
and ICHNEUMONITES is that the former have only one transversal 
nervure in the fore-wings. ‘This nervure commences at the upper 
marginal cells, and runs across the wings. The ICHNEUMONITES, 
on the other hand, have two such nervures. 
Of the BRACONITES, we may take as representative species 
Microgaster glomeratus and Muicrogaster nemorum, the larve of 
which live parasitically on the common cabbage white butterfly 
(Pierts brassice), and the silkworm respectively, the yellow 
cocoons of the former being frequently seen on cabbage 
caterpillars. | This genus has a small sessile abdomen, antennz 
large, 18-jointed; it is also distinguished by the form of its 
sub-marginal cell. This is the cell surrounded by nervures, and 
