180 Coi'Jceir.U — Nnn Awerican Bees. 



on the thprax does not extend so far forward, and the hind margin of the 

 first abdominal ><egment is l)lack (broadly yellowish-white in sphientlcex): 

 It looks like a diminutive M. palUdiciudu, but has not the broad head of 

 that species. It Ijelongs to the group of M. inter inedieUa, humilior and 

 sphxrulcex. Compared with M. humilior Ckll., and M. interinediella Ckll., 

 the abdomen is much nai-rower, with nmch broader hair-bands ; the an- 

 tennae also are much darker. 



Habitat.— Fecos, New Mexico. W. P. Cockerell. 



Melissodes pecosella verbesinarum subsp. nov. 



Female. — Rather more robust; hair on inner side of basal joint of hind 

 tarsi more decidedly fuscous ; fiagellum, after the first two joints, bright fer- 

 ruginou!^ beneath ; basal band of second abdominal segment broad and very 

 white ; hair of thorax in front paler; eyes pale sea-green. Could very 

 easily be taken for an undersized pallid icincfa, but the much narrower face 

 at once distinguishes it. 



Habitat. — Las Cruces, New Mexico, at flowers of Verbesina. encelioides. 

 September 22. T. D. A. Cockerell. 



Melissodes nigrosignata pallidisignata subsp. nov. 



]i\y,i(de. — Segments 2 to 4 of abdomen almost wholly covered with pale 

 ochraceous hair; hair on outer sideof middle tarsi all yellowish-white ; spurs 

 pallid. Easily known from M. grindelix by the entirely light hair of the 

 tegulte. Maxillary palpi as usual in the genus. This has a very distinct 

 appearance, but seems to be only a variety. The characteristic fulvous and 

 black hair of the hind legs is as in the type. There is a general resem- 

 blance to M. avfma. 



//„7,j>f,/,_0ak Creek Canyon, Arizona, 6,000 feet. August. F. H. Snow 



1985. 



Melissodes hortivagans sp. nov. 



y[„le. — Length about 13.5 nnn.; black, rather stout; head and thorax with 

 abundant grayish-white pubescence very faintly tinged with ochraceous 

 above, scutellum with some sliort black hair; eyes pale yellowish-gray; 

 head broad, facial quadrangle not far from square; clypeus (excepta small 

 spot on each side), iabrum and basal half of mandibles lemon-yellow ; 

 apical part of mandibles with a fulvous stripe; antenna; rather long, third 

 joint mucli longer than second ; fourth longest of all, but notas long as the 

 next two together ; last joint normal; flagellum wholly bright ferruginous 

 beneath ; mesothorax and scutellum shining and well-punctured ; tegulte 

 red, fuscous in front; wings very strongly stained with yellow, stigma fer- 

 ruginous, nervnies dark ferruginous; second submarginal cell much sliorter 

 than first or third, oblique but with almost equal sides; first recurrent 

 nervure entering it not much beyond the middle ; hair of legs wholly pale, 

 that on inner side of tarsi orange-ferruginous ; tarsi ferruginous, as also are 

 the tibiae at apex and largely on inner side ; abdomen with conspicuous 

 but rather narrow entire median {ov submedian) white hair-bands on seg- 



