Insects. 1157 



occurred to any one in this country ; for my own part, I can only say that it far tran- 

 scends any success I have met with on previous occasions. The captures were made 

 on the 22nd of August, the continuation of wet weather which had preceded that date 

 had no douht retarded the appearance of some species, particularly the males of them, 

 as I have met with some more than a month earlier. Mutilla ephippium, 4. Myr- 

 mosa melanocephala, abundant. Tengyra Sanvitali, 2. Methoca ichneumonides, 4. 

 Pompilus pulcher, abundant. Pompilus affinis, 2. Ceropales variegata, 1 female. 

 Aporus bicolor, 1. Tachytes pompiliformis, 4. Miscophus bicolor, 2 males and 3 

 females. Astata, a new species, 1. Cerceris labiata, 4. Audrena fuscipes, abundant. 

 Andrena argentipes, abundant. Dasypoda Swammerdamella, 2. Panurgus ursinus 

 and P. calcaratus, abundant. Nomada baccata, abundant. Saropoda bimaculata 

 and S. vulpina. I do not mention species of more common occurrence, as I consider 

 the above sufficient to prove that Weybridge is one of the best localities for Hymen- 

 optera hitherto discovered. Tengyra, or the male of Methoca, I found skimming over 

 a bank where I captured the female. Ceropales variegata I brushed off the purple 

 heath ; I captured a male in the same manner last autumn. Miscophus bicolor I cap- 

 tured with its prey, a small white spider. Cerceris labiata I observed entering its 

 burrows ; it appears to be a much more solitary species than any other of the genus, 

 for although I have several times taken it, I never discovered a colony. It occurs in 

 Hampshire also. The capture of a new species of Astata is undoubtedly a great ac- 

 quisition to the British Fauna. The only species previously known to inhabit Britain 

 — the Astata boops — is a very local species ; although abundant on Hampstead-heath, 

 in other localities, as Coomb-wood in Surrey, and Hawley, Hants, I have only met 

 with it sparingly. I have not observed it at Weybridge. The new species I will first 

 describe, and then point out some of its points of difference from A. boops. 



Astata Jaculator. — Female. Length, 3 lines. Black. The head very smooth and 

 shining, a few distant minute punctures on the face, and an impressed line midway 

 between the anterior stemma and the base of the antennae. Mandibles rufo-piceous. 

 The thorax having the disk, and also the scutellum, smooth and shining, with a few 

 remote punctures towards the collar ; a short impressed line on each side parallel with 

 the tegulae ; the metathorax has an opaque space, shaped like a horse-shoe, exceeding- 

 ly closely and finely punctured, inclosed by a deeply impressed line. The anterior 

 wings are slightly fuscous, palest towards the apical margin. Legs dark rufo-piceous; 

 the anterior tibiae pale ferruginous in front; all the tarsi rufo-piceous; the anterior 

 tarsi are ciliated on the outside, and the intermediate and posterior tibiae slightly spi- 

 nose. The abdomen has the first and second segments, and the third at the base, red. 

 It will be seen that in general colouring this species resembles Astata boops, but in 

 sculpture it is widely distinct. It is not more than half the size of the smallest of 

 that species ; its face is not deeply punctate, nor is the thorax in front ; it has an in- 

 closed patch on the metathorax delicately punctate, which is not the case in the other 

 species, the whole portion being rugose. The head and thorax in A. boops are very 

 pubescent, but the new species is entirely destitute of hair. 



I have another rarity to describe, namely, a hermaphrodite specimen of Nomada 

 baccata, which is probably the first instance discovered of hermaphroditism in this 

 genus. This remarkable creature has the sexes thus divided : head black, as in the 

 male ; left antenna male, right female; the left side of the face silvery as in the male, 

 the right side naked ; left mandible yellow, the other red ; the thorax coloured as in 

 the female ; the abdomen swollen on the right side, female, terminal segment pointed, 



