Vol. XXvi] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS 3! 



coming out. Could not open nest. Bees not easily disturbed." 

 (No. 124.) 



Upon examination, the species appeared to be new. It 

 v/as seen to be closely allied to T. zicglcri iua\antm Ckll., 

 from Guatemala, but that insect has clear (suffusedly yellow- 

 ish) wings, a larger mesothorax, and is much less densely pu- 

 bescent. It was also close to a specimen labelled "7. dor sails 

 Sm.," from Smith's collection, but that has yellow bands along 

 the inner orbits to the summit, less pubescent front, differently 

 colored wings, etc. 



Unfortunately, however, confusion has arisen concerning 

 the application of the name T. dorsolis Smith. Friese has 

 applied it to T. pcctoralis D. T., which agrees neither with 

 Smith's description nor with my Smithian specimen. Two 

 descriptions of T. dorsalis by Smith are extant; the first pub- 

 lished (Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus.) in 1854; the second (Trans. 

 Ent. Soc., Lond.) in 1863. Upon comparison, discrepancies 

 appear. Thus, in 1854, it is said that the wings are testaceous, 

 in 1863 tnat ^ey are hyaline. My supposed co-type, one of 

 Smith's own specimens, is the insect of 1863, but what of the 

 dorsalis of 1854 from Para ; could it be the insect found by 

 Mr. Gaige? The description certainly suggested such a possi- 

 bility. At this point I forwarded my description to Mr. G. 

 Meade-Waldo, of the British Museum, with a statement of 

 my perplexity. He now kindly replies that he finds in the Mu- 

 seum two distinct species under dorsalis, one the original in- 

 sect of 1854, the other that of 1863, bearing, like my Smithian 

 specimen, the number 18. My description of Mr. Gaige's 

 insect fits the true dorsalis "admirably," and is "without any 

 doubt" that species. I give this description herewith, as Smith's 

 account is too brief. 



Trigona dorsalis Smith. 



Length nearly 7 mm.; abdomen long and comparatively narrow; 

 head broad, Mack, with the clypctis, triangular supraclypcal mark, tri- 

 angular lateral marks (filling space between clypeus and eye, and said- 

 ing a slight linear process upwards along orbit), labrnm and mandibles 

 chrome yellow; mandibles with a broad simple outer cutting edge, 



