76 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



But Shakespeare, although a " contemplative man," seems to 

 have found but little "recreation" in fishing, and it is perhaps 

 on this account that Walton has evinced no appreciation of his 

 immortal verse. Michael Drayton, however, his " honest friend," 

 is often quoted. 



Monograph of the North American Proctotrypidce. By William 

 H. Ashmead. Bulletin of the United States Natural 

 History Museum, No. 45. 8vo, pp. 472. With eighteen 

 plates. Washington Government Printing Office. 1893. 



The Proctotrypidce are considered by some authorities to be 

 closely allied to the Chalcididce, and in a systematic arrange- 

 ment of the hymenopterous families usually follow them in our 

 manuals and catalogues. Mr. Ashmead, however, who in this 

 volume has worked out the species found in America north 

 of Mexico, considers that they have but little affinity with the 

 Chalcididce, and that this arrangement is unnatural. They are 

 in every respect, he believes, more closely allied to the Hymen- 

 optera-Aculeata, the Chrysididce, Scoliidce, Mutillidce and Thyn- 

 ceidce, while in the Terebrantia they approach closest to the 

 parasitic Cynipidce (Allotria, Eucoila and Figites) In a natural 

 arrangement, therefore, he considers they should be placed at the 

 head of the Terebrantia, for after the removal of the group 

 Mymarince, which (agreeing with Halliday) he regards as 

 forming a separate and distinct family allied to the Chalcididce, 

 there is no relationship with the last named. With the My- 

 marince removed, there will be no difficulty in distinguishing at a 

 glance a Proctotrypid from a Chalcid. In all true Procto- 

 trypids the pronotum extends back to the tegulse, and the 

 ovipositor issues from the tip of the abdomen, the sheaths, 

 except in a few abnormal cases, being conjoined and forming a 

 more or less cylindrical tube or scabbard for the reception of the 

 two spiculse and the ovipositor proper ; whereas in all Chalcids 

 the pronotum never extends back to the tegulse, and the ovi- 

 positor issues far anterior to the tip of the abdomen, reposing in 

 a central slit or groove, while the sheaths are always distinctly 

 separated, never conjoined. 



From the families of the Aculeata they are separated by 

 having (except in a few cases) 2*jointed trochanters, and in 



