124 BULLETIN BROOKLYN ENTOM. SOC. VOL. VII. January 1885. ] 
Dear Sir: 
Under the head of ‘‘Society News” in the last number of your 
Journal, Messrs. Gade, Hulst and Weeks give their views concerning the 
habits of thisinsect [AAyssa}. An article furnished by me relating to this 
subject appeared in the ‘‘Canadian Entomologist” for December 1882, 
as contributing to the theory that this insect is not a parasite, and my 
observations concerning its habits have led me to hold views in agree- - 
ment with the gentlemen named. The article appeared under the 
caption ‘‘Long stings’ and an extract is as follows. 
“My experience has demonstrated that while it may be a fact that 
these insects deposit their ova on the larvee of the Uroceridae or other 
borers, they do not commonly do so. In every case that came under 
my observation, the long ovipositor, instead of penetrating through the 
burrow of a Zremex or other wood-borer, entered through wood that had 
not been previously attacked, and though [ failed to discover the egg 
deposited, Iam very much of the opinion that the deposition is often- 
times, if not generally made regardless of the contact with a larva. My 
observations were necessarily confined to such visitations from these in— 
sects as were made to asumewhat decayed stump of a beech tree, for 
though there were a number of oaks and other trees close by, their choice 
was for the beech, to which both species were constantly arriving and in- 
serting their long ovipositors. At the close of each day I cut off, to the 
depth of six inches, such portions of the stump as had been attacked, 
but failed to detect in any of the cuttings either the burrow or larva of 
_Tremex or other larva. I also noticed that the wood as exposed by such 
clippings as I had made, attracted the greatest number of these insects, 
I regard it therefor a matter of considerable doubt if either the afraza or 
lunator commonly deposit their ova in the body of wood boring larvee, 
and it seems to me that if these ichneumon larve are carnivorous, they 
must possess the power of boring in search for their food. I do not 
suppose that these insects perform the great labor of inserting their long 
ovipositors upon the merest chance of meeting with a larva, but rather 
that they deposit their eggs at every insertion, my observations abundant 
ly proving that they are not governed by any instinct in the selection of 
particular spots, so far as regards the presence of larvae. 
FREDERICK CLARKSON. 
Norr.—The foregoing letters of Prof. Riley and Mr. Clarkson were 
read at the November Meeting of the Society and provoked much dis 
cussion. None of the members had ever observed the matters mentioned 
