2 Cameron, Hym&noptera Orientalia. 



following papers are now in the collection of Mr. G. A. J. 

 Rothney. They form a notable addition to our knowledge 

 of the hymenopterous fauna of the mountains ; but these 

 papers can only be looked upon as a beginning towards 

 an enumeration of the species, which must number many 

 hundreds, and more probably thousands. The fact that 

 in the comparatively small region of Sikkim there are 

 found about 600 species of Butterflies, and probably 

 thousands of Moths, is in itself sufficient evidence of the 

 rich harvest which awaits the student of Hymenoptera, 

 when collectors begin to pay attention to other groups 

 than the Lepidoptera. The specimens were collected 

 by the native Lepchas, some of whom make excellent 

 collectors ; but, as might be expected, they only collect 

 large or medium sized species. 



An excellent description of the Khasia Mountains is 

 to be found in that admirable book of travels. Hooker's 

 Himalayan Journal. 



Judging from the present collection, the Hymenoptera 

 of the eastern Himalayan Mountains appear to be 

 markedly different from those found in the western part 

 of the range ; but our knowledge of the fauna of the 

 western parts of the group, to say nothing of the northern 

 plains and of the mountains of Central India, is so small that 

 it is useless at present to discuss the geographical distri- 

 bution and relationship of the species. Some of the species 

 constitute well-marked new generic types. In establishing 

 these, I have not taken Foerster's generic revision of the 

 IchneumonidcB as a basis. If I were to do so, I should be 

 compelled to form a very much larger number of new 

 genera ; but as the system adopted by Foerster appears 

 to me to be largely artificial, I have not followed it. 



Since the publication of Smith's Catalogue,* in 1869, 



* A Catalogue of the Aculeate Hymenoptera and Ichneumonidas of India 

 and the Eastern Archipelago. Proc. Linn. Soc, 1869. 



