A revised key is given to the Enicospilus antefurcalis (Szépl.) species-group, some species of which are parasites of Lepidoptera of economic importance, of the Afrotropical region. One Oriental species, E. laqueatus (End.), is recorded for the first time from Africa and two species, E. watshami sp. n. and E. polemus sp. n., are described.

A key is provided to the eight genera of Anomaloninae occurring in Melanesia. The Anomaloninae are endophagous parasites of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera larvae. The Melanesian species of Anomalon Panzer, Trichomma Wesmael,Heteropelma Wesmael, Therion Curtis, Pseudanomalon Szépligeti, and Aphanistes Foerster are keyed and discussed. A total of 21 species is recognised of which 11, Trichomma cheesmanae sp. n., T. pacificum sp. n., Heteropelma hirsutum sp. n., Therion unguiculum sp. n., A phanistes nexus sp. n., A. luscus sp. n., A. limulus sp. n., A. dnopherus sp. n., A. paupus sp. n., A. sedlaceki sp. n. and A. anaxeussp. n., are described. An Australian species, Anomalon, morleyiGauld, is recorded from Melanesia for the first time. Trichomma elegantulum Turner is placed as a junior synonym of T. clavipes Krieger.

The eleven Melanesian species of the genera Perisphincter Townes and Agrypon Foerster, endophagous parasites of Lepidoptera larvae, are revised, and a key to them is given. One species of Perisphincter, P. toxeres sp. n., and six species of Agrypon, A. augrhantum sp. n., A. ambomum sp. n., A. celenellum sp. n., A. rhamphidum sp. n., A. apistum sp. n. and A. phlogeum sp. n., are described. A. nigricans Szépligeti is placed as a synonym of A. caliginosum (Tosquinet).

Australoglypta latrobei gen. et sp.n., an ichneumonid parasitic on the larvae of the tortricid Epiphyas postvittana (Wlk.) in Australia, is described and compared with related genera. The mating and oviposition behaviour of the ichneumonid is noted, and its abundance over 13 generations of E. postvittana between 1972 and 1976 was investigated. A delayed inverse (density-dependent) relationship was found to exist between host and parasite. Possible beneficial effects of this parasite are discussed.

A new genus and species of Ichneumonidae, Sliochia bala, reared from a pod husk miner (Acrocercops sp.) of cacao is described and compared with related genera in the Macrini.

A key is provided to the ten genera of Anomaloninae occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. The numbers of African species in the various genera are discussed with particular reference to those having potential economic importance as parasites of Lepidoptera. Parania Morley is recorded for the first time from Africa, and two new species P. prima sp. n. and P. secunda sp. n. are described. A number of new host records are given.

The Indian species of Trichomma Wesmael (Anomaloninae) are revised. A new species parasitising Dioryctria abietella (Denis & Schiffermtüller) (Pyralidae) and Eucosma pylonitis Meyrick (Tortricidae) is described as T. dioryctri, and two known species, T. nigricans Cameron and T. decorum (Cameron), are redescribed and briefly compared with other species in the genus. Short notes on the host ranges of the species are included. The cephalic capsules of the final-instar larvae of two species are described.

The occurrence of the African ichneumonine Ctenochares bicolorus (L.) in Australia and New Zealand as a parasite of the crop pest Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esp.)/C. eriosoma (Dbd.) is reported. The advent of the species to Australasia is discussed in relation to the known distribution and host associations of the genus.

The sawfly Cephalcia lariciphila (Wachtl) is a pest of larch (Larix spp.) that has recently become widespread in Britain. Before taking measures to control the sawfly the status of parasites in the infestations was investigated. The only insect parasite species found was the ichneumonid Olesicampe monticola (Hedwig), which is new to Britain. As this insect is taxonomically so poorly known it is redescribed from specimens collected in South Wales. The preliminary biological observations show O. monticola to be well-adapted to its host and that it can significantly reduce an infestation.

Temelucha minuta (Morl.), a common parasite of Phthorimaea operculella (Zell.), is redescribed with emphasis on features enabling it to be separated from other species of Temelucha. T. clausa Kerrich is placed as a junior synonym of T. minuta. The known geographical range of the parasite is expanded to include Cyprus, Australia and India. A provisional key is given to the Australian species of Temelucha, and notes are given on their distribution and hosts. T. verimaculata (Cam.) is placed as a junior synonym of T. australiensis (Szépl.).

The Australian species of the genus Heteropelma Wesmael (Anomaloninae) are revised. Three species, H. flavitarse (Brullé), H. scaposum (Morley) and H. perniciosum (Turner), are considered valid, and are redescribed. Two new synonymies have been proposed.

Cell numbers in four organs of large, control and small mice were estimated by nuclear counts. Average cell mass was estimated from the cell number and the organ weight. The mice were from the selected Q-strain with six replicate lines in each size-group. The organs were lung, liver, spleen and kidney. At 6 weeks of age the large mice had more cells and larger cells than the controls in all organs; the small mice had fewer and smaller cells than the controls. The regression of log cell-number on log-organ weight provides a measure of how much, proportionately, cell number contributes to the differences in organ weight. In the lung and spleen, cell number contributed about 70% of the strain differences in organ weight, cell mass contributing about 30%; in the liver and kidney the relative contributions were about equal, at 50%.

Cell counts at different ages from 3 to 15 weeks showed that cell number and cell mass contributed to the increases of organ weights during growth in roughly the same proportions as stated above. From this it is concluded that the main effect of selection for body weight has been to speed up or slow down the normal processes of cellular growth.

Aggregation chimaeras were made from embryos of strains of mice selected for large and small body size and of unselected controls. The strains were combined in pairs marked by albino coat colour and by allo-zyme variants at the Gpi-1 locus. The proportion of cells derived from each component was scored visually in the coat melanocytes and by electrophoresis in ten other organs or tissues (blood, liver, lung, spleen, spinal cord, brain, pituitary, kidney, adrenal and testis). The object was to find out how body weight is related to cell proportions in the body as a whole and in the separate organs. Individuals varied widely in their mean cell proportions but there were significant differences between organs within individuals. Body weight was linearly related to the mean cell proportions which accounted for most, or possibly all, of the chimaeric variance of body weight. No one of the organs studied could be identified as being solely responsible for growth control, or as having a predominant influence on growth. The weights of some organs were probably influenced to a small extent by their own cell proportions independently of the individual's mean, but the differences of body weight were too great to be accounted for by the summation of localized effects on organs. The mean cell proportion, averaged over individuals, was close to 50%, proving that there was no tendency for cells from the larger component to outgrow those from the smaller. It is concluded that growth control must be systemic, but it was not possible to decide whether the systemic effect comes from some particular organ not studied, or is in some undefined way the consequence of the cell proportions in the body as a whole. There was some evidence, though it was inconclusive, that chimaeras show ‘heterosis’ for body weight.

Selection for increased and for decreased expression of the sex-linked gene brindled (Mobr) in heterozygous females produced two lines with non-random X chromosome inactivation. In the High line the X chromosome marked by brindled was active in about 60% of cells, while in the Low line it was active in about 25% of cells. The whole of the difference was caused by the chromosomes carrying brindled: neither the unmarked X chromosome nor the autosomes were differentiated. There was a positive correlation between the expression of brindled in daughters and mothers. This was probably not caused by residual genetic variation, but was more probably a maternal effect similar to that described by Cattanach & Papworth (1981). On this assumption the daughters' scores were adjusted to a standard maternal score. Enzyme assays on females doubly heterozygous for brindled and for the sex-linked Pgk-1 locus proved that the percentage of brindled in the coat provided an accurate measure of the X-inactivation proportions in the blood, liver and kidney. The accuracy was improved by adjustment for maternal score. In the selection lines, brindled was always inherited from the mother. When brindled was transmitted by male parents the probability of activation of its chromosome was increased by 8 percentage points in the High line and 18 in the Low line. This effect of the parental source is much greater than has previously been reported. The responses to selection can be interpreted in terms of the Xce locus controlling the activation probability, different alleles on the chromosomes carrying brindled being selected in the two lines. If this interpretation is correct, the alleles on one or both of the chromosomes carrying brindled were different from any of the three known alleles. The different effects of male transmission in the two lines can be described as a difference between the two chromosomes in their reactions to imprinting. This difference might possibly also be due to the Xce locus.