Barbut says, “This fabulous account originated from the sea-fowls, when ready to lay their eggs, depositing them on the marine plants; and, pecking sometimes these anatiferous shells, oblige the fish to come out, which having devoured, they lay eggs in their place. The young when hatched break through their prison, and fly away.” Genera Vermium, Pars ii. page 13. EDIT. OF THE LEUCOPSIS DORSIGERA. Plate XVII. Fig. 1, 2, and 3. This very beautiful and singular insect was first pointed out to me by T. Marsham, Esq. Sec. L. S. who had seen it in the cabinet of insects belonging to the Queen, in the royal observatory at Richmond. Her Majesty was pleased to permit me to have the drawing taken from it, from which this plate was engraved. When Mr. Marsham first saw it at Richmond, he considered it as a non-descript insect, and an unique in this country. But he has since found that it is mentioned by Fabricius, in his Systema Entomologiæ, as a new genus under the name of leucospis dorsigera. There is one of the insects in the cabinet of the celebrated Linnæus, now in the possession of J. E. Smith, M. D. F. R. S. & Pr. L. S. Sulz, and other writers, have also described it. It appears at first sight like a wasp, to which genus the folded wings would have given it a place, had not the remarkable sting or tube on the back removed it from thence. It is probably a species between, and uniting the sphex and wasp, in some degree partaking of the characters of both. The antennæ are black and cylindrical, increasing in thickness towards the extremity; the joint nearest the head is yellow, the head is black, the thorax is also black, encompassed round with a yellow line, and furnished with a cross one of the same colour near the head. The scutellum is yellow, the abdomen black, with two yellow bands, and a spot of the same colour on each side between the bands. A deep black polished groove extends down the back, from the thorax to the anus, into which the sting turns and is deposited, leaving the anus very circular; a yellow line runs on each side the sting. The anus and the whole body, when viewed with a shallow magnifier, appear punctuated; these points, when examined in the microscope, appear hexagonal, as in the plate; and in the center of each hexagon a small hair is to be seen; the feet are yellow, the hinder thighs very thick and dentated, forming also a groove for the next joint; they are yellow with black spots. This insect is found in Italy, Switzerland, France, and Germany. Fig. 1 shews it very much magnified; Fig. 2 is a side view of it less magnified; Fig. 3 is the object of its real size. OF THE LOBSTER INSECT. Plate XVIII. Fig. 1 and 6.