( 449 ) XI. New Genera of British Mymaridae {Haliday). By Fred. Enock, F.L.S., F.E.S., F.R.M.S. [Read October 6th, 1909.] Plates XII— XV. It is with no small amount of pleasure that I am able to bring before the notice of entomologists eight genera of Mymaridae, new to science. Perhaps before entering into particulars I may be allowed to say that, with one or two exceptions, no entomologist has taken up the study of this much-neglected family of insects, since the year 1833, when Andrew Haliday first established it. We are not, therefore, surprised to find that in our own Entomological Society there are members who are quite unaware of its existence, so I may be excused for saying that this small family is composed, so far as we know, of microscopic Hyriienoptera, whose larvae are ovivorous in their habits. Possibly their microscopic size has been the cause of the neglect and want of interest shown by British entomologists. Haliday, after arranging the few species into seven genera, seems to have given up their study and passed on his manuscript to Mr. Francis Walker, who in 1846 increased the genera to twelve and the species to thirty-five. ("Annals and Magazine of Natural History," vol. xvii, p. 49, 1846.) Following this in 1847, Foerster still further increased the genera to fifteen and number of species doubtful — the additional genera being found in Germany — but neither Haliday, Walker nor Foerster published any illustrations, only short descriptions from which it was impossible to identify many of the species referred to. Such was my own experience when in 1872 I commenced my own observations from a simple exhibit by Mr. Frederick Fitch at the Quekett Microscopical Club. Under the microscope was shown " A Fairy Fly in a Spider's Web." It was illuminated on a black background, which gave it the most wonderful appearance, every limb, each TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1909. — PART IV. (DEC.)
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