Microscopical Essays. 



385 



Of the Insect which is represented at Fig. 1, 2, 3, 



Plate XVII. 



This very beautiful and lingular infect was firft pointed out to 

 me by Mr. Marfham, who had feen it in the cabinet of infects 

 belonging to the Queen, in the royal obfervatory at Rich- 

 mond. Her Ma jelly was pleafed to permit me to have the 

 drawing taken from it, from which this plate was engraved. 

 When Mr. Marfham firft faw it at Richmond, he confidered it 

 as an undefcribed infect, and an unique in this country. But he 

 has fince found that it is mentioned by Fabricius, in his Syiiema 

 Entomologist, as a new genus, under the name of leucofpis 

 dorfigera ; and there is one of the infefts in the cabinet of the 

 celebrated Linnasus, now in the poffeffion of J. E. Smith, M. D. 

 F. R. S. Sulz, and other writers, have alfo defcribed it. 



It appears at firft fight like a wafp, to which genus the folded 

 wings would have given it a place, had not the remarkable fling, 

 or tube, on the back removed it from thence. It is probably a 

 fpecies between, and uniting the fphex and wafp, in fome degree 

 partaking of the characters of both. The antennas are black 

 and cylindrical, increafmg in thicknefs towards the extremity ; 

 the joint neareft the head is yellow, the head is black, the thorax 

 is alfo black, and encompaffed round with a yellow line, and fur- 

 nifhed with a crofs one of the fame colour, near the head. The 

 fcuteilum is yellow, the abdomen bla-jk, with two yellow bands, 

 and a fpot of the fame colour on each fide between the bands. 

 A deep black polifhed groove extends down the back, from the 

 thorax to the anus, into which the fling turns and js depofited, 

 leaving the anus very circular ; a yellow line runs on each fide 

 wt ■ 3 A the 



