169 



It will be noticed from the above-quoted passage that while Harris 

 states positively that the larvae of the parasites destroy the larvce of the 

 Tremex he says nothing about the place where the parasitic egg is laid 

 and does not even hazard the supposition that the Tremex larva is 

 pierced by the ovipositor of the parasite. Later authors, however, have 

 loosely made this statement without evidence or authority. For instance, 

 Packard (Guide, etc., p. 196) says : 



The genus Bhyssa contains our largest species and frequents the lioles of boring in- 

 sects in tlie trunks of trees, inserting its remarkably long ovipositor in the body of 

 the larvse deeply imbedded in the trunk of the tree. 



Following this statement, or possibly some previous one which we 

 have not been able to place, the idea has been current that the wood- 

 boring larva is pierced by the ovipositor of the parasite. As late as 

 1886 Professor Comstock, in the Standard Xatural History, II, p. 514, 

 says : 



And the females (Rhyssa) are often found with their long ovipositors deeply sunken 

 inuO the trunks of such trees (infested with Sirex) in the act of laying their eggs in 

 the bodies of the wood-boring larvae. 



From the use of the generic name Sirex^ Professor Oomstock's state- 

 ment would seem to be drawn from European sources, and this has led 

 us to make some search of European records for observation upon 

 allied species. 



Westwood (Introd., etc., II, 150) says : 



Some species, whose females are furnished with a very long ovipositor, are found 

 on the trunks of trees, stamps of wood, etc., evidently searching for the lignivorous 

 larvie, in which they deposit their eggs. 



Eatzeburg (Ichneumonen d. Forstins.) states that both Nordlinger 

 and himself reared Ehi/ssa ])ersuasoria from Sirex spectrwn, and he also 

 records B. curvlpes as reared from X.iphidri(i camelus. He does not, 

 however give any details of his observations, nor does he state that the 

 parasite in ovipositing j)ierces the wood-boring grub. 



In spite, however, of the lack of definite observations on this point, 

 the idea was almost universally prevalent among entomologists up to 

 recent years that the parasite pierced the grub with her ovipositor and 

 deposited her egg in its body. 



In the December, 1882, number of the Canadian Entomologist^ Mr. 

 Frederick Clarkson gave an account of observations upon this parasite 

 which were, upon the whole, very similar to those which we had pre- 

 viously made. His article was called forth by a popular review of the 

 habits of atrata and liinator contributed to the May number of the same 

 journal by Mr. W. H. Harrington, in which the latter fell into the old 

 error of stating that the female Thalessa deposits her eggs in the larvi^e 

 of the Uroceridie and other wood-borers by means of her long ovipositor. 

 Mr. Clarkson stated in brief that his experience had demonstrated that 

 while it msLj be a fact that these insects deposit their eggs upon the 



