124 MANDIBULATA. — HYMENOPTERA. 



parasites (Chalcididas, &c.) thus realizing, in some measure, the state- 

 ment of the poet, that — 



" Great fleas and little fleas have smaller fleas to bite 'em, 

 " The smaller fleas have lesser fleas, so on ad infinitum." 

 The British species, which amount to several hundreds, are 

 divisible into numerous genera, but, for reasons stated in the note, I 

 shall follow Gravenhorst, and commence by an abridgment of his 

 tabular view of the indigenous genera, with a few slight additions. 



Abdomen convexum aut depressum, petiolatum aut subsessile. 



Capite transverse : scutello elevato : ... 48. Trogus. 



piano. 

 Pedibus posticis haud simul validis et elongatis. 

 Aculeo foemiTice abscondito, aut subexserto. 



Cellula 5-angulari, rarissime 3-angulari aut nulla. 

 Abdomine cylmditico ; .... 40. Isciinus. 

 ovato, aut oblongo. 

 Cellula distincta : 



^reo/a exteriore incompleta : . . 41. Stilpnus. 



completa: . . 39. Ichneumon. 



Cellula nulla : 



Alislon^s,'. .... 43. Microleptes. 

 brevissimis: . . .42. Brachypterus. 



Cellula parva 3-angulari, aut irregulari vel nulla. 



will be found that the insects alluded to are divided by him into only 12 

 genera (vide vol. iv. p. 417) 10 of which I have condensed into 1, viz. Marga- 

 ritia ! ! from one section of which Mr. Curtis has removed one of the species 

 as a genus (Nascia) because its maxilla are rather short ! ! ! whereas in a 

 previous folio (555) he there unites discordant groups, in one portion of which 

 the maxillae are short, and in the other " long and perfect," exclusively of 

 differing in other respects, as well as in outline, which he, in folios 207, &c., 

 states to be a good character in the discrimination of Lepidopterous genera! ! ! 

 I will only add, that so far from coinciding with Hiibner, I have (as may be 

 readily seen upon a reference to the 4th vol. of HausteUata throughout, and 

 to the forthcoming 2nd part of my Nomenclature) in very numerous instances 

 reduced his genera to mere subdivisions, not employing them as genera, as 

 Mr. Curtis so disingenuously infers ! ! 



With these observations, referring also to what I have stated in the Appendix 

 to the 4th vol. above referred to, I close all further notice of the numerous 

 attacks that have or may be made regarding these Illustrations, hoping, from 

 the progress I have already made, by unwearied application, and the continued 

 blessing of good health, to bring them to a conclusion by this day twelvemonths, 

 without designedly abbreviating one tiitle for the purpose of compressing them 

 within " an inconvenient length" ! 



