HORN-TAILED WOOD-WASPS. 541 
insects belonging to the genus Xiphydria have the same 
form and habits as those of the liorn-tailed wood-wasps. 
Til? name comes from a word signifying a small sword, 
in allusion to the borer of the female, which is shorter 
than in the preceding horn-tails. The winged insects 
have a rounded head, distant from the thorax, to the lower 
part of which it is joined by a slender conical neck. The 
body is nearly cylindrical, a little flattened, somewhat turned 
up behind, and ends with an obtuse point. The antennae 
are short, curved, and tapering at the end. 
Xiphydria albicornis of my “ Catalogue,” or the white- 
horned Xiphydria, has white antennae with the two lowest 
joints black. The head is black, with a narrow white 
line around each of the eyes, forming a large oval, inter- 
rupted only in two places, on each side of the head. The 
body is black, with a spot on the front corners of the tho- 
rax, and six spots on each side of the abdomen, of a white 
color. The legs are reddish yellow or honey-yellow, with 
dusky feet. The wings are transparent, and have blackish 
veins. The body measures from six tenths to nearly three 
quarters of an inch in length. This insect is found on 
the trunks of trees of soft wood, in August. 
Xiphydria mellipes of my “ Catalogue ” may be merely 
a variety of the preceding, from which it differs chiefly 
in having only four white spots on each side of the abdo- 
men. It is four tenths of an inch long. I am indebted 
to the Rev. L. W. Leonard for specimens of these two 
species. 
The name of the genus Oryssus comes from a Greek 
word signifying to dig holes. The insects belonging to it 
differ considerably from the other Uroceridce , but, from what 
little is known respecting them, they appear to have the 
same habits. They have a cylindrical body, almost rounded 
behind, or bluntly pointed, and not distinctly horned. Their 
heads are large, and very rough on the front. Their an- 
tennae appear to come out of the mouth, being inserted 
