The Scottish Nattn-alist, 65 



vineries was made almost useless before any serious damage was 

 suspected. The males also were very numerous on the flowers 

 of Eupatorium and Goutweed, and so lethargic as scarcely to 

 move when touched. 



V. sylvestris. — I have met with this species several times. 



V. norvegica. — Last spring (1878) a nest of this species was 

 found hanging to one of the lower branches of a dwarf rhododen- 

 dron. I intended taking the nest and contents one day at the 

 beginning of August, but on going to it I found only two males 

 in it, although a day or two previous the nest seemed to have a 

 strong population. I have found the nest occasionally in similar 

 situations, but never noticed that the inmates died off so early in 

 these cases. 



Colletes succincta. — I have two specimens taken on heath in 

 Lochar Moss last August. 



Colletes fodiens. — Only once met with, in September 1876, on 

 rag^vort bloom. 



Sphecodes gibbiis. — Common. I have found it at its burrows 

 and on ragwort flowers. These burrows were on a hard garden- 

 walk; and as bearing somewhat on the supposed parasitism of the 

 genus, I may add that, so far as I could find, no other species 

 of bees were burrowing anywhere near the place. 



S. rufiventris. — Several found last July on dandelion. 



S. ephippius.- — Common on ragwort. 



Andrena albicans. — Very common. Mr Smith says (Brit. Bees, 

 2d edit, p. 37), "It is commonly found on the dandelion." I 

 have seldom seen it on that flower, but always find the $% 

 numerously at the flowers of Mahonia aqtiifolium in shrubberies, 

 and the ^ s seem specially fond of chickweed flowers. 



A. gwynana. — Very common ; frequenting crocuses, sallows, 

 and dandelions. In April 1878 I one day had captured a num- 

 ber of this species, placing them in separate pill-boxes. After a 

 while I had a bee in each box, and captured a ^ , which I also 

 wished to keep, and placed him in a box containing a $ . On 

 opening the box when I arrived home, I was surprised to find 

 the pair in coitu. I relate the incident for the purpose of sug- 

 gesting that in some cases this plan might be tried for finding 

 out the species to which the very similarly coloured <? s of the 

 genus Andrejia belong. 



A. bicolor. — Not unfrequent at flowers of bluebell and hawk- 

 weed. 



A. 7iigro-cBnea. — Once found on dandelion at Lochar Moss. 



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