G. S. Graham-Smith 
531 
collected and kept under close observation. From many of tbe pupae 
flies, identified by Mr P. H. Grimshaw as S. melanura Mg., emerged, 
but from others large numbers of small braconids, identified by Mr 
G. T. Lyle as Aphaereta cephalotes Hal., appeared. Three of the 
parasitised pupae, for example, contained 10, 13 and 14 braconids 
respectively. 
Further experiments were carried out during the winter of 1915-16, 
and some interesting additional information has been obtained. On 
January 29 a batch of 114 out of the very numerous pupae, which 
have passed the winter of 1915-16 in the “sun tin,” were placed in jars 
in the kitchen (room E), where the mean daily temperature is about 
60° F. Between March 3-18 29 flies (18 C. erythrocephala, 9 F. manicata, 
and 2 N. cylindrica) emerged, and between March 18-25 33 large 
braconids, A. manducator, 21 d and 12 ?. Also between March 23-29 
67 small braconids, Aphaereta cephalotes. By keeping pupae in separate 
tubes it was ascertained that in this species the proportion of males to 
females emerging from different puparia varies greatly. From one 
puparium 1 d and 8-? emerged, from a second 2 d and 8 ?, from a 
third 2 d and 8 ?, from a fourth 1 d and 3 ?, from a fifth 3 d and 4 ? 
and from a sixth 6 d- It may be noted that puparia from which 
A. cephalotes have emerged are not lined by the thick tough membrane 
produced by A. manducator. Thirty-eight pupae remain from which 
braconids, corresponding to the autumn batch of 1915, will doubtless 
emerge. Some of these opened on May 31 contained larvae of 
A. manducator. The factors which retard the development of these 
larvae have not been ascertained. 
Other pupae from the same source were kept at different tempera¬ 
tures (see Table I, p. 456). A. manducator (12 d and 1 ?) emerged from 
pupae in room A between April 25 and May 16, and in rooms B 
(36 d and 6 ?), C (13 d and 3 ?), and D (13 d and 7 ?) between April 7 
and May 5. In the “sun tin” 678 d and 160 $ emerged between 
April 9 and May 30, and in the “shade tin” 132 d and 59 ? between 
May 17 and June 1. From these observations it appears that the 
emergence of the spring batch of A. manducator is greatly influenced 
by the temperature, and that under all conditions the males appear 
before the females. A. cephalotes emerged in rooms A (6 d arid 12 ?) 
and B (11 d and 29?) and in the “sun tin” (185 d and 454 ?) after 
A. manducator had almost ceased to appear. In the “shade tin” this 
species commenced to emerge on June 1. A. cephalotes had parasitised 
relatively few of the pupae. 
