FAUNA AND FLORA OF NORFOLK : ICHNEUMONS. 
GOT 
200 species made out of the varieties of a single one, and these 
variations so very slight as to be, one might say, almost puerile ; as a 
tit subject for this splitting up business I would call attention 
to Phyyadeuon fumator , Gr., this has been considered a very 
variable insect ; some little time ago I began to separate the 
specimens in ray own collection, and I found I could make 
1 7 distinct varieties or species (whichever you please to call them) 
of the females and 24 of the males, all of which would make far 
better species than the majority of those of Foerster. I have not 
only separated them but I have tabulated them, and made sketches 
plain and coloured, of the distinguishing points, and I have very 
little doubt some are good species, but following the previous 
custom in this country 1 have included them all under the head of 
P. fumator , Gr. 
Some of the larger genera, which have in recent times been 
broken up into many sub-genera, I have left in their former state, 
such as Phyyadeuon , Cry plus, and Limneria. 
There is a peculiar habit found in the cocoons of Limneria. 
kreichbaumeri (these are oval, palish brown, with a paler central 
zone), which I have not met with in any other of these families ; 
the cocoons have the power of leaping a considerable distance in 
the air ; they arc semi-transparent, and by holding them up to the 
light, between the finger and thumb, it can easily be seen how 
this is accomplished, the larva first bends itself into something 
the shape of a U , it then presses its head and tail against the 
opposite side of the cocoon, it looks as if it were blowing itself 
out, it gradually becomes more and more rigid, till at length the 
pressure against the opposite side is not sufficient to keep the body 
bent when the head and tail suddenly release themselves and fly 
out straight, hitting the other side of the cocoon a sharp rap, and 
up they go ; when held, in the fingers the tap may be distinctly felt 
and heard. I have not seen the explanation of this peculiarity 
noticed before. A few quotations are taken from Paget, and 
Stephens, but these are few. I have still a great many species 
unnamed, which I have not been able to identify, not a few I have 
very little doubt are at present undescribed, and, as far as I am 
concerned, are likely to remain so, as want of time has compelled 
me to give up entomology. 
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