GEOGRAPHY OF THE GENERA. G3 



are Germany, Sweden, a part of Russia, and even Fin- 

 laud. It is impossible for any entomologist to examine 

 every locality for himself, he must, in great measure, 

 depend on the labours of others ; and, of course, I can 

 only speak of the collections which are accessible to me, 

 or Avhich are described in monographs, or have been 

 named in lists that have been published. Doubtless the 

 Museum of Berlin, so long under the administration of 

 a lover of the Order, Dr. Klug, would present a large 

 contribution to our knowledge of the distribution of the 

 forms, did a list of its riches exist. Such a list of the 

 menoptera of Portugal, contained in Count Hoffmau- 

 segg's collection, was published many years ago in Illi- 

 ger's 'Magaziu der Insectenkunde..' 



It has been a fatality incidental to this entomological 

 branch of the study of natural history that some of its 

 most energetic cultivators have been taken earlv away. 

 There was formerly Illiger, then our own Leach, and 

 then Erichsen. Leach, but for his afflicting malady, 

 Avould have done much for the science ; still, let us 

 hope that the Hymenoptera, and especially the bees, are 

 gaining ground in the estimation of entomologists gene- 

 rally, and that not many years will pass before collec- 

 tors will possess them in abundance. For the present, 

 I can but give a slight summary of the knowledge we 

 possess on this subject. 



Thus science has sustained great loss by reason of the 

 unfortunate neglect which the family of bees, and, in- 

 deed, the Order of Hijmenoptera generally, has met with 

 from collectors in distant localities whose tastes have 

 led so directly to the collection of other more favoured 

 Orders, and the opportunities for repairing the conse- 

 'uences of such neglect being in some cases extremely 



