AMMOPHILA.— PELOPCEUS. 23 



V 

 35. Ammophila argentifrons. 



Ammophila argentifrons, Cresson, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. iv. p. 462 (1865) \ 

 Ammophila mexicana, Saussure, Eeise d. Novara, Hymen, p. 25 (1868) 2 . 



Hab. Noeth Ameeica, Colorado l . — Mexico, Cordova 2 , Teshuitlan 2 . 



v 36. Ammophila luctuosa. 



Ammophila luctuosa, Saussure, Reise d. Novara, Hymen, p. 26 l ; ? Smith, Cat. Hymen. Ins. iv. 

 p. 224 (1867) \ 

 Hab. Noeth Ameeica 2 . — Mexico, Cordova 1 , Orizaba 1 , Teshuitlan 1 , Chapultepec \ 



It is doubtful if this is identical with the North-American A. luctuosa, Smith. 

 Saussure's species comes nearest to A. piceiventris. 



J 37. Ammophila quadridentata. 



Nigra, punctata, dense nigro-pilosa ; abdomine nifo-testaceo ; clypeo quadri-dentato ; alis violaceo-fuligi- 



nosis. $ . 

 Long. 24 millim. 



Hab. Mexico, Ventanas in Durango 2000 feet (Forrer). 



Head broad, rather long, densely covered with black hair, closely and strongly 

 punctured ; clypeus deeply incised in the middle, the incision bordered by a double tooth, 

 and there is a nipple-like tooth on either side of this. Thorax densely pilose, the hair 

 long and black ; closely and strongly punctured ; metanotum closely, transversely, and 

 rugosely striolated in the middle, the sides obliquely and rugosely punctured, the 

 punctures running into reticulations ; mesonotum broadly depressed at the sides, the 

 furrow in the middle narrow and only visible on the basal half; a furrow in the centre 

 of the pronotum. Scutellum with large separated punctures, the apex more or less 

 striolated. Petiole slightly curved, fully one fourth longer than the hind coxse; 

 irregularly blistered and punctured. Coxae (especially the hinder pair) strongly punc- 

 tured, and covered with long black hair ; trochanters and femora sparsely haired. 



PELOPCEUS. 



Pelopams, Fabricius, Syst. Piez. p. 202 (1804); Latreille, Hist. Nat. Ins. xiii. (1804) ; Patton, Proc. 

 Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. xx. p. 378. 



I am inclined to agree with Patton in separating Chalybion from Pelopoeus ; the latter 

 has a black body with yellow markings, the clypeus bilobate, and the petiole as long 

 as the thorax ; Chalybion, again, has the body metallic blue, the clypeus tridentate, and 

 the petiole hardly so long as the metathorax. 



Pelopceus has a wide range over the globe, especially in the warmer regions, and 

 some of its representatives are very widely distributed. The species construct their 

 mud-nest frequently in rooms and outhouses, and feed their young upon spiders. 



