56 ME. C. V. EILEY OK THE PARASITIC HYMENOPTEEA 



Eeport upon the Parasitic Hymenoptera of the Island of 

 St. Yincent. By C. Y. Eilet, W. H. Ashmead, and L. O. 

 HowAED. (Commuuicated by D. Shaep, F.L.S., on behalf 

 of the Committee for Investigating the Elora and Eauna of 

 the "West-Indian Islands.) 



[Eead 29th June, 1893.] 



Inteoditction. By C. Y. Eilet. 

 When the parasitic Hymenoptera and Ehynchota collected by 

 Mr. Herbert H. Smith in the island of St. Yincent were sent to 

 me some time ago by the "West India Committee for study, I 

 hoped to find time to work upon the collection myself, parti- 

 cularly in certain groups in which I have long taken an especial 

 interest. This hope has proved vain, owing to the pressure of 

 more urgent duties. "While, however, I have been able to do but 

 comparatively little work myself, I take pleasure in transmitting 

 herewith a Eeport on the parasitic Hymenoptera by two of my 

 assistants, Messrs. "W. H. Ashmead and L. 0. Howard, both 

 of whom are well-known workers in this group of insects. 

 Mr. Ashmead has studied the Braconidsa, Ichneumonidse, Proc- 

 totrypidse, and part of the Chalcididse, the latter family 

 possessing the largest number of forms. Mr. Howard has taken 

 up the remainder of the Chalcididse, comprising the subfamilies 

 GhalcidincB, EucharincB, Perilampince, Encyrtince, Elasmince, 

 Aphelinince, PirenincB, and ElachistincB. Six new genera and 

 299 new species are characterized. I have myself studied but 

 have not yet completed the work on the Microgasterince in the 

 Braconidse, and the Ewpelmince in the Chalcididse ; and hope to 

 send before long a supplementary Eeport on these subfamilies. 



Tbe material collected by Mr. Smith has proved to be of very 

 considerable interest. The groups containing the smaller Hy- 

 menoptera have been so little collected, especially in the western 

 hemisphere, that generalizations bearing upon the geographical 

 range of species can hardly be attempted as yet, and such gene- 

 ralizations as may be made will have little value. It is inter- 

 esting to note, however, that although the very large majority of 

 the forms are new to science, a number of the old species 

 collected in this island by the Eev. Lansdown Gruilding during 

 his residence there, and subsequently described by Francis 



