COLLECTING HYMENOPTERA. The insects of this order, including Bees, Wasps, Ants, Ichneumon-flies, Gall-flies, Saw-flies, and allied insects have always been of unusual interest both to entomologists and non-entomologists on account of their diversified and peculiar habits. In abundance of species they exceed perhaps even the Coleoptera. In general they are day fliers and always to be found in abundance on bright days about flowers. The best season for collecting is in early spring, on the bloom of the Willow, Alder, and other trees. They may also be found at any season of the year, but the males of many species are only to be taken in fall. In this order, species of many groups can be most easily obtained by breeding. This includes the gall-making family, Cynipidae, and the parasitic families Chalcididae, Proctotrypidae, Ichneumonidae and Braconidae. The Chrysididae and certain other less important families are also parasitic, but are more easily obtained by general collecting. The implements necessary for collecting Hymenoptera are the sweeping-net and the beating-net. Many rare forms of the smaller parasitic families may be obtained by sweeping the grass and foliage of all sorts. The Proctotrypidae may be collected in quantity by sifting leaves and rubbish collected in the woods. Mr. William H. Ashmead, who has made an especial study of this group, finds winter sifting profitable. Dried leaves and rubbish are sifted, the finer portion being retained and transferred to a bag. When a sufficient quantity is collected it is removed to a warm room. Many hibernating species are taken in this way, and, revived by the warmth, are easily noticed when the material is spread on white paper. [Illustration: FIG. 60.--A Saw-fly (Nematus ventralis). _a_, _a_, _a_, young larvae; _b_, full-grown larva; _c_, cocoon; _d_, adult; all slightly enlarged.] On account of the interest attaching to a knowledge of the various hosts of parasitic insects the collector should always aim to obtain the latter by breeding as much as possible. This can easily be done by keeping a lookout for larvae of all sorts which give evidence of being parasitized. The larvae of Lepidoptera found late in the fall are very apt to be parasitized, and should be collected and kept over the winter. The parasites will emerge throughout the winter season and in the early spring. Such larvae will be found on the trunks of trees, in the crevices of the bark, and the cocoons of parasites will also be found in similar situations. The Tenthredinidae (Saw-flies) are not so often found about flowers but usually remain in the vicinity of the food-plant of the larva, and may many of them be collected by sweeping. The larvae of this family are in many cases difficult to breed, as most of them are single-brooded, and it becomes necessary to carry the larvae over the winter.