188 POPULAR ENTOMOLOGY. 



the skin they begin to construct their cocoons, which in 

 some species are found on the blades of grass, in others on 

 trees. The following notice, taken from that interesting 

 little monthly publication the ' Naturalist/ shows that in- 

 sects even in the pupa state do not escape the Ichneumon. 

 In reply to a query, it is said, " Some years ago, while col- 

 lecting in Botany Bay Wood, on Chat Moss, I was rather 

 startled on hearing a strange sound from among the dry 

 leaves scattered on the ground (especially as vipers are not 

 uncommon there) . On looking closely, I perceived it came 

 from an Ichneumon in the act of piercing a leaf. On 

 seizing it, I was dehghted to have ocular proof that they 

 will attack pupae; the leaf contained a pupa, which next 

 season produced Acronycta rumicis. I believe few ento- 

 mologists have witnessed the above ; it is the only instance 

 I have met with during several years' collecting." These 

 insects vary much in size, some being among our largest 

 Hymenopterous insects, and destined to check the too rapid 

 increase of the Hawk-Moths, and other large Lepidoptera ; 

 others are so minute as to be seen with difficulty ; some are 

 even small enough to be parasitic on the eggs of insects. 

 De Geer found a mass of sixty eggs of some Lepidopterous 

 insect, not one of which had escaped the Ichneumon. We 



