n-2 



moth be perfectly relaxed it cannot be well 

 set. 



I should add .hat when the wings are got 

 right paper braces are to be substituted for 

 the setters, whic!: must then be removed. 



Charles Cliftow 



COMMON ICHNEUMONS 



Bv S. D. Bairstow, F.L.S. 



/ 



in. 



Fig. 55. 

 OPHICN OBSCURUS. 



FAB. 



A young friend of mine was out '• mothing" 

 with me one day, when he suddenly startled 

 me with the following exclamation (I give it 

 verbatim), Oh ! Sally what a curious Tommy 

 Long Legs i Such an unscientific remark 

 attracted my attention to the object of his 

 enquiring spirit. This proved to be Ophion j 

 obscurus, one of our very commonest ichneu- 

 mons, and an insect which most of my readers 

 will recognise at once. In beating for Cater- 

 pillars in the sur.mer months you are toler- 

 ably certain of " umbrella-ing " this insect. 

 It is to he met with in every likely place, and 

 every place is likely to contain it. The genus 

 Ophion is above all others most easily recog- 

 nised, and the various species are very nearly 

 allied to each c:her. But it requires keen 

 ocular " demumrtrashun " to perceive the 

 differences of structure between obscurus and 

 luteus. The genus was established by Fab- 

 ricius, who also included other orders which 

 are now separated from it. Obscurus is a 

 parasite of various Noctuce larvae and a few of 

 the Bombyces. Mr. Mosley gave me a speci- 

 men bred from Crthosia ypsilon. The antennse 

 of this insect are longer than the body, 

 slender and intensely articulated. Body and 

 limbs yellowish red, stigma not very distinct 



as in other families, areolet undefined, ovi- 

 positor short, tarsi of a paler hue, and with 

 pectinated or toothed claws. The body or 

 abdomen is d irker in color than that of luteus. 

 It will be int< resting to know if obscurus has 

 been bred f: om any order other than the 

 Lepidoptera, as hitherto observations have 

 been confined to the latter class. The mark- 

 ings on the head are the principal points of 

 variation in species of Ophion, and must be 

 carefully watched by the student. Both 

 obscurus and luteus occur commonly in this 

 country. Of the Ophionides there are 35 

 genera, and 239 species. Of the genus Ophion 

 we have in Britain but six recognised species. 

 In the French lists ten species are given. 

 The following insects have been known to be 

 victimised by Ophions, viz. -.—Bombyx trifolii, 

 pint, and lanestris, Stauropus fagi, Noctua pini- 

 perda. Doubtless the list will be greatly 

 enlarged. Let me here remark that I have 

 obtained many coccons of ichneumons by 

 digging at the roots of trees, or ripping off 

 and examining the trunks themselves. These 

 methods are absolutely indispensible to col- 

 lectors of either Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, 

 Coleoptera, Liptera, &c. \jr. Ellis, of Liver- 

 pool, drew my attention to the fact that by 

 gently removing the grass, and shingle, which 

 congregate upon the sides of sandhills, blown 

 thither by the wine, many cocoons, living 

 insects, insects diseased and deceased, can be 

 unearthed and bottled by the searcher. Try 

 it ! 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



By J. E. Robson ; with figures from life by 

 S. L. Mosley. 

 (Assisted by contributors to the Y. N.) 



EXPLANATION OF TERMS, Sec. 



In the pap . r on British Butterflies which 

 we now commence we And it convenient to 

 use some few technical terms, and that the 

 letterpress may not be interrupted, we pro- 

 pose to give such explanations now as will 



