124 The “ Skunk Cabbage.” 
in the handy little German work on insects, by Von Schlechtendal 
and Dr. Wiinsche.* 
The first of these insects which we shall describe, Ophion 
merdarius, is a good example of the OpHIONID#, in which family 
the abdomen is compressed on both sides, at least near its 
extremity, and invariably crescent-shaped. In the female the 
ovipositor is scarcely visible. The genus from which the group is 
named is characterised by the long pedicel, by which the abdomen 
is attached to the thorax, and is distinguished from Paniscus by 
the fact that the second sub-marginal cell is joined with the first. 
In all the Ichneumonites the first cell forms with the middle cell 
next below a large cell, so that sometimes, as in the species above 
mentioned, only the commencement of the dividing nervure is 
just distinguishable. 
In the genus anchus, the abdomen is broad at the base, 
distinctly flattened, and the scutellum tapers to a short point. In 
Lxetastes the abdomen is rounder, flattened only at the extremity, 
where it forms a tail, containing the ovipositor in the female sex. 
Paniscus is distinguished by triangular discal areolet. P. 
glaucopterus attacks the Willow Saw-fly (Czmbex Salicezz). 
Anomalon circumflexum is in its larval state parasitic on the 
caterpillar of Dasychira abietts. Head and thorax, including the 
bases of the legs, black ; antennee, face, scutellum, and abdomen, 
yellow ; legs reddish yellow ; tip of abdomen and hind tibie and 
tarsi of the prevailing black colour. Wings short in proportion to 
the size of the insect, yellowish. 
All the species of Azomalon have a short, transverse nervure, 
starting from the discal areolet. 
| Zo be continued. | 
The ‘“ Skunk Cabbage.” 
By Mrs. ALICE BoDINGTON. 
N the town site of Vancouver City, in British Columbia, 
there are many acres still unbuilt upon, and in April, 
on every marshy spot, are numbers of the above extra- 
ordinary misnamed plant. It is an arum, with a 
* Die Insecten, eine Anleitung zur Kentniss derselben. (Leipzig: B. G. 
Teubner, 1879, 3 Vols., 15 Plates, pp. 707, Price 9 M., 60 pf.) 
