REVIEWS. 107 



of Kirby appears as acervorum Fabr., an Anthophora unknown to Sweden, 

 where Kirby's A. haworthana is common, this last is proved, by a 

 reference to the authentic original, to be the true Apis retusa of Linna3us. 

 The common yellow-tailed and yellow-banded humble-bee* turns out to 

 be the A. terrestris of Linnseus, while the nearly similar bee, with a white 

 tail, that has been more generally considered as such, is identified as the 

 female of his A. lucorum, a male with different marking. The results of a 

 scrupulous examination, by Dr. Ny lander, of the collection in the University 

 of Kiel, have been, in like manner, made available for the more certain 

 identification of the species which Fabricius had described. The strict 

 application by Mr. Smith of the rule, that where the sexes of one species 

 have been contemporaneously described as distinct, the trivial name given 

 to the male should have the preference, has led to some changes in the 

 commonly received nomenclature. So Ccelioxys conica sinks in the 

 quadridentata ; Apis licornis L. is found under Osmia rufa, A. ccerulescens 

 L. under Osmia cenea, and A. ursina K. as a synonym of Panurgus 

 banksianus. 



It seems to be tacitly assumed by the author that the reader comes pre- 

 pared by the previous study of Kirby's Monograph, and Westwood's 

 Modern Classification, as regards the families and their primary subdivi- 

 sions, since no characters of these are given in the Catalogue. For the 

 aggregate group ANTHOPHILA, or bees in the widest sense, including both 

 the families, Andrenidce and Apidce, we are, indeed, provided at the outset 

 with a sort of Natural Character. We feel no sort of doubt that Mr. Smith 

 can tell a bee at sight, with unerring certainty ; but we do greatly mis- 

 doubt whether the author himself, or his readers either, would be enabled to 

 distinguish the same from (almost) any other winged Hymenopterous insect 

 of the section Aculeate, by means of any or all of the structural characters 

 there given, unless it be the single one, which is specifically invalidated by 

 exceptions. It may be said to be of little moment ; how we know so we 

 know ; if so, commend us then to the life-like pictures of Sturm or Curtis for 

 our study, in place of the painful poring over crabbed phrases. Neverthe- 

 less, it is not a difficult matter, in fact, to know a bee from all the rest of 

 the Hymenoptera ; but that by means of characters, not without them, by 

 definite marks, and a peculiar aggregate of them, not by such as are vague, 

 or common, or applicable but partially. 



* Not just a corruption of humming-bee, as Mr. Smith conjectures; but of much 

 older origin, since all the branches of the Teutonic stock have got the name in forms 

 little altered; Dutch Hommelby; Swedish Humla (bi) ; Danish Humle-bi; German 

 Hummel (biene), &c. 



