56 ME. C. V. EILEY OK THE PARASITIC HYMENOPTEEA Eeport upon the Parasitic Hymenoptera of the Island of St. Yincent. By C. Y. Eilet, W. H. Ashmead, and L. O. HowAED. (Commuuicated by D. Shaep, F.L.S., on behalf of the Committee for Investigating the Elora and Eauna of the "West-Indian Islands.) [Eead 29th June, 1893.] Inteoditction. By C. Y. Eilet. When the parasitic Hymenoptera and Ehynchota collected by Mr. Herbert H. Smith in the island of St. Yincent were sent to me some time ago by the "West India Committee for study, I hoped to find time to work upon the collection myself, parti-cularly in certain groups in which I have long taken an especial interest. This hope has proved vain, owing to the pressure of more urgent duties. "While, however, I have been able to do but comparatively little work myself, I take pleasure in transmitting herewith a Eeport on the parasitic Hymenoptera by two of my assistants, Messrs. "W. H. Ashmead and L. 0. Howard, both of whom are well-known workers in this group of insects. Mr. Ashmead has studied the Braconidsa, Ichneumonidse, Proc-totrypidse, and part of the Chalcididse, the latter family possessing the largest number of forms. Mr. Howard has taken up the remainder of the Chalcididse, comprising the subfamilies GhalcidincB, EucharincB, Perilampince, Encyrtince, Elasmince, Aphelinince, PirenincB, and ElachistincB. Six new genera and 299 new species are characterized. I have myself studied but have not yet completed the work on the Microgasterince in the Braconidse, and the Ewpelmince in the Chalcididse ; and hope to send before long a supplementary Eeport on these subfamilies. Tbe material collected by Mr. Smith has proved to be of very considerable interest. The groups containing the smaller Hy-menoptera have been so little collected, especially in the western hemisphere, that generalizations bearing upon the geographical range of species can hardly be attempted as yet, and such gene-ralizations as may be made will have little value. It is inter-esting to note, however, that although the very large majority of the forms are new to science, a number of the old species collected in this island by the Eev. Lansdown Gruilding during his residence there, and subsequently described by Francis
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