198 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [May, '07 



9 . Collected on Rhodora canadensis, May 28; Aesculus 

 hippocastanum, May 31 ; Falcata comosa, August 22; and Tri- 

 folium pratense, September 18. 



. On Pontederia cor data, July 20; Falcata comosa, Au- 

 gust 22 ; also on various garden flowers. 



$ . The male has been taken on the pasture thistle from 

 July 3Oth to September i8th. 



Bombus borealis Kirby. 



1837, Bombus borealis Kirby, Faun. Bor. Am., 4, 272. 

 1864, Bombus borealis Cr., $ , <3, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., 3, 41. 



Bombus borealis differs from B. fervidus in the following 

 characters : the pubescence is tawny yellow ; the clypeus is 

 smooth and shining, impunctate ; the face between the clypeus 

 and ocelli is clothed with pale yellow and the vertex with tawny 

 yellow pubescence ; the yellow pubescence of the thorax does 

 not extend downward upon the pleura, and the black band be- 

 tween the wings is wider. B. fervidus has the pubescence 

 lemon yellow ; the clypeus sparingly punctured ; the front black 

 except for a few yellow hairs above the insertion of the an- 

 tennae, the vertex black ; and the pleura is largely yellow. Both 

 sexes and the workers have been taken in this locality, but 

 they are much rarer than the corresponding forms of fervidus. 

 I have no record of the capture of the females in spring. The 

 workers have been taken on Pontederia cordata, which blooms 

 from July 2ist to August loth ; on Vicia cracca; and on Tri- 

 foliuni pratense, September i8th. 



Bombus consimilis Cr. 



1864, Bombus consimilis Cr., 5, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil., 3, 41. 



This is our most common species of Bombus, and according 

 to Cresson it occurs also in Massachusetts and Canada. I have 

 compared the local bees with an authentic set of specimens re- 

 ceived from Mr. H. L. Viereck, with which they very closely 

 agree. In one instance a female of this species has only the 

 basal middle of the second segment yellow, resembling B. rid- 

 ingsii Cr., of which I have specimens from New Haven, Conn. 



9 . On the inflorescence of Sali.v bcbbiana, May 13; Loni- 

 cera ciliata, May 18; Rhodora canadensis. May 28; Clint onia 

 borealis and many other plants. 



