162 THE BEES OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, 



vertex otherwise, and interval between supraclypeal and 

 lateral marks black ; upper ])art of black frontal area punc- 

 tured, lower part smooth ; scape honey-colour except at apex ; 

 flagellum black, dull pale brownish beneath except at base 

 and extreme apex ; mesothorax strongly and closely punc- 

 tured, black with four broad even yellow stripes, the outer 

 ones marginal ; scutelhim and postscutellum with a broad 

 median black stripe ; area of metathorax smooth and shining, 

 with a median, slightly depressed, ferruginous spot ; on each 

 side of the area is a broad ferruginous band, and the trun- 

 cation has a narrow ferruginous stripe ; tegulse honey-colour ; 

 wings moderately dusky ; stigma piceous, nervures rufo- 

 f uscous ; first r.n. joining second s.m. very near basal corner; 

 femora, and anterior tibiae in front, yellow ; knees, tibiae 

 otherwise, and tarsi honey-colovir : abdomen honey-colour, 

 flushed with yellow at sides of first three segments, first seg- 

 ment with a dai'k mark at base ; last two segments black 

 above and below. 



//rt6.— Solomon Islands, July- August, 1909 (W. W. Frog- 

 gatt). Near to M. flavuineUea (Ckll.). It belongs to a little 

 group, hitherto known from Queensland, separable thus: — 



Metathorax fluted; comparatively large species (9 mm.).. mtlimiira (Ckll. ) 

 Metathorax not fluted 1 



1. Apex of abdomen purple ..basiiura (Ckll.) 



Apex of abdomen black 2 



2. Female clj'peus narrow, without lateral dark bars; width of clypeus not 



greater than combined widths of lateral spaces between clypeus and 



eye .flavome/lea {CkU.} 



Female clypeus broader, with lateral dark bars; width of clypeus much 

 greater than combined widths of lateral spaces between clypeus and 

 eye tetraxantha CkU. 



Halictus froggatti n.sp. 



9 Length about G^ mm. ; black, with little pubescence, the 

 thorax above with very scanty inconspicuous hair, the abdo- 

 men without hair-bands or spots, and the hind margins of the 

 segments dark like the rest ; head broad, eyes broadly shal- 



