4o PLATE CXCVIL 



The Sirex genus, as it flands in the Entomologla Syjlematlca of 

 Fabricius, includes only twenty-fix fpecies ; thefe are chiefly Euro- 

 pean Infefts ; but very few are natives of this country. The Sirex 

 Gigas is found in the north of Europe ; it has been taken in 

 England, but very rarely : Yeats and Berkenhout mention it as a 

 Britifli fpecies, and we have been informed that it is fometimea 

 taken in Scotland. It is likely to be met with in Pine forefts, as 

 the female feems to prefer that wood to depofit her eggs in. As no 

 Englifh Entomologift has attempted to defcribe the particular habits of 

 this tribe of Infetts, and efpecially of Sirex Gigas, the following 

 particulars may be fatisfaftory to our readers. 



The extenftve forefts of Germany furnifhed the accurate Roefel 

 with many opportunities ot difcovering and obferving the tranf- 

 formations of Infefts that are rarely to be found in other parts of 

 Europe ; and this enabled him to afford the world a particular de- 

 fcription and feries of figures of all the changes of Sirex Gigas, in 

 the Bemhyliorum et Vejparum of his InfeBen Helujligung. His figure 

 of the female Infeft agrees with that we have given ; the male is 

 confiderably fmaller, and has no fling*. The fling of the female 

 confift of three parts, a (heath which divides into two parts or valves, 

 and a fine inftrument fornewhat refembling a needle ; it is with this 

 inftrument it wounds its enemies, and the fting is faid to caufe an 

 excruciating pain. The microfcope difcovers this part to be befet 

 with a number of very minute teeth, like the edge of a faw ; and 

 with this inftrument the creature can pierce the wood of the foundeft 

 trees. We fufpecl, indeed, that it does not often depofit its eggs in 

 fuch.as are decayed, but rather in thofe whieh will fupply the larva 

 when hatched with nutritive juices, fuch as can be derived only 

 from healthy and fappy timber. The eggs are laid in clutters of two 

 or three hundred together; they are of a pale yellow colour, about 

 the thirtieth part of an inch in length, and fhaped like a weaver's 

 fhnttle. The larva lives in the body of the tree, enlarging its habi- 

 tation as it increafes in fize, for it never leaves the tree till it becomes 



* This is a genencal diftinttion. 



a winged 



