291 BRITISH BEES. 



egg deposited, is refolded over it and covered in, and it 

 is closed up with earth. They then proceed to make 

 another excavation, which is treated in the same man- 

 ner, for they deposit only one larva in a tube. If dis- 

 turbed in their retreat, they will show themselves at its 

 mouth, like Dasypoda, to see what is the matter. 



I would urge our collecting entomologists, especially 

 those who have the opportunity of hunting up the west 

 of England, to use due diligence and strive to confirm 

 the native existence of this bee and add specimens to the 

 cabinets of their fellow-entomologists. 



Genus 24. OSMIA, Latreille. 



(Plate XIV. figs. 1 and 3 $ ? .) 



APIS ** c 2 8, Kirby. 



Gen. Char. : HEAD subglobose, concave, posteriorly 

 fitting the prothorax and about as wide as the thorax; 

 ocelli placed far forward on the vertex, which is wide 

 and convex, in a curved line; antennas filiform, some- 

 times subclavate, short, and geniculated, the scape ro- 

 bust, as long as the four following joints, the basal 

 joint of the flagellum globose, its second joint clavate 

 and as long as the terminal one, the remainder short, 

 subequal, and gradually but slightly increasing in length; 

 the face flattish; the clypeus a truncated triangle, con- 

 vex ; labrum longitudinally oblong, a little laterally dis- 

 tended at the articulation, from whence the sides are 

 parallel ; mandibles broad at the apex, obscurely trideii- 

 tate, the internal teeth obtuse and short ; cibarial ap- 

 paratus long ; the tongue three times the length of the 

 labium, clothed with short hair and tapering from the 



