Insects. 5543 



and A. albicans; but I think they are parasitic upon A. cineraria. T have also taken 

 a few examples near Heaton, at Mitford, at Gibside, and near Lannercost, in Cum- 

 berland ; so that it is pretty widely distributed. Both sexes have been captured, but 

 the females in much greater plenty than their partners; they appear early in May, 

 and continue until the end of June. — Thomas John Bold ; Long Benton, Newcastle- 

 on-Tyne, February 27, 1857. 



Note on the Copulation of Bombi. — So little appears to be known of the loves of 

 the Bombi, that I venture to record the only instances when I have noticed them in 

 coitu. On the 29th of August I found a pair of Bombus lapidarius, in copuld, 

 amongst the grass on the sea-banks, near Whitley, Northumberland. When looking 

 about for insects at Long Benton, on the 25th of July last, the laborious flight of a 

 Bombus attracted my attention ; of course I at once gave chase, and captured, instead 

 of one, a couple of B. hortorum, which, after flying, in copuld, the length of the 

 garden, alighted on a rail, and were, without mercy, consigned to the bottle, thence to 

 be promoted to a place in my collection. — Id. 



Description of a neiu Hymenopterous Insect, found amongst Seeds of various Species 

 of Pinus from California. — The insect I am about to describe was found amongst the 

 seeds of Picea bracteata and a new species of Thuja, and in Pinus nobilus, &c. The 

 insect appears to be parasitic on some species of Cynips, at least I consider it to be so : 

 I have several pupae of the Cynips (if Cynips it be), but they are not far enough ad- 

 vanced to determine that point : I am trying to rear them ; if I succeed I will make it 

 known through the pages of the ' Zoologist.' The Chalcis is a very beautiful one, and 

 appears to retain its colours after death : the insect is a female ; the male I have not 

 been able to meet with, and if the males are as rare as those of our Callimome Devon- 

 iensis, it is not very likely I shall be able to see them. The insect belongs to the 

 genus Megastigmus of Dalman: there are but few species belonging to the genus 

 known ; T therefore consider this a very interesting addition, and as it appears to be 

 generally attached to the Pinus family I shall call it 



Megastigmus Pinus, Parf. 



Disk of female black ; the clypeus a large trifid spot above it, and the sides of the 

 face broadly pale greenish yellow; the mandibles pale testaceous, their tips black; 

 a pale greenish stripe behind the eyes, and a dot at their vertex. Antennae, the scape 

 yellow in front, the flagellum fulvous beneath. Prothorax subquadrate above, with a 

 transverse greenish yellow macula at its apical margin ; a small square spot on the 

 metathorax. The scutellum and post-scutellum orange, forming a large oblong spot; 

 a small green stripe before the tegulae, and a large one in front of it in the pro- 

 thorax. Legs pale or honey-yellow, inside of the posterior femora black ; the tips of 

 tarsi dusky. Wings hyaline and beautifully iridescent, particularly the posterior 

 pair ; the costal nervure and the stigma black. Abdomen, a longitudinal greenish 

 yellow stripe along its sides; the second, third and fourth segments with an oblique 

 triangular greenish yellow spot on each side, uniting to a central honey-yellow, longi- 

 tudinal stripe above; ovipositor black and pubescent ; there are also ten black setae 

 arising from a small black protuberance in the apex of the abdominal segment above, 

 and quite distinct from the ovipositor; these setae diverge on each side, forming a 

 sharp angle with the apex of the abdomen. I cannot conceive what these appendages 

 can be for. Length 8f lines ; expanse of wings 4 lines ; ovipositor 2| lines. 



