1894 ] - Entomology. 189 
ENTOMOLOGY. 
North American Proctotrypidæ.—Mr. Wm. H. Ashmead 
furnishes in his Monograph of North American Proctotrypide, one of 
the most important of recent descriptive works on American insects. . 
In preparing the 457 pages of his text the author has had ample opportu- 
nities to work up our rich Proctotrypid fauna, studying in addition to 
the various American collections those of the Royal Museum of Berlin. 
Mr. Ashmead believes that the Proctotrypidæ are more closely allied 
to the Chrysidide and Cynipide than to the Chalcidide, next to which 
they are so commonly placed. He would separate the Mymarine as 
a distinct family allied to the Chalcids. 
The lives of adult Proctotrypids are of short duration, not longer 
than four or five days in confinement, though probably longer under 
natural conditions. They occur in a great variety of situations, the 
favorite resorts of some being moist places where vegetation is luxuri- 
ant and insect larve abundant ; others are found along the borders of 
woods or in the open fields; still others frequent fungi, and some occur 
in ant’s nest. Comparatively few are found on flowers. 
“There is scarcely any doubt but that many of the wingless forms 
to be found in various genera of this family are only dimorphic forms 
of winged species, although comparatively little is postively known on 
the subject.” The eggs of these insects are “ ovate or oblong in shape, 
with a more or less distinct peduncle at one end, and agree well in gen- 
eral with many in the family Ichneumonide, although those in the 
subfamily Platygasterinz, on account of the longer peduncle, more 
closely resemble those in the family Cynipide.” The larve are inter- 
nal feeders, and in pupating plan for a protection of some kind. 
“The Proctotrypide are apparent widely distributed over the whole 
world, although outside of Europe little is known of the exotic forms, 
and it is not possible therefore to generalize upon the genera and their 
distribution. From an examination of various exotic collections of 
Hymenoptera, it is safe to predict the species will be found to be 
numerous and widely distributed, but far less numerous than the Chal- 
cidide ; judging from my own collecting I should say less than one- 
fiftieth in number. Only a small percentage of the species is yet 
described.” The affinity of North American forms with those of 
“Edited by Prof. C. M. Weed, Durham, N. H 
“Bull. 45, U. S. Natl. Museum, Washington, 1893. ` 
