120 AMERICAN HYMENOPTERA. 



Wings. — Very dark, with violaceous reflections. 



Queen. Head. — Rather elongate. Entirely black. Malar space 

 somewhat shorter than its width at apex, about one-fourth as long 

 as eye. Clypeus moderately punctate, with rather coarse punctures. 

 Third antennal segment longer than fifth and fifth longer than fourth. 



Thorax. — Entirely black. A noticeable, naked, smooth, shining 

 area on center of disc. 



Abdomen. — Entirely black. Hypopygium without a median carina. 

 Epipygium with a slight longitudinal median carina on its very apical 

 portion. 



Wings — Very dark and with strong violaceous reflections. 



Legs. — Black. 



Worker. — Unknown. 



Male. — I think it possible that puUatns is the male of this species. 

 See discussion following description of niger. 



Dimensions . — Length, about 24 mm. ; spread of wings, about 53 

 mm. 



This species is most closely related to mexicanus, and I do 

 not feel certain that there is not a complete gradation between 

 them. I have not succeeded in separating them structurally. 

 I can distinguish brevivillus from niger only by its shorter 

 and coarser pile. Both brevivillus and niger may be readily 

 separated from kohli by the distinctly longer malar space of 

 the latter. 



Bombus (Boinbiis) niger new species. 

 ? Bombus velutinus Illiger, Magaz. f. Insectenk., V, 1806, p. 175, n. 63. 

 violaceus Lepeletier, Hist. Nat. Insect. Hymen., I, 1836, p. 

 473, n. 24, 9 8. 

 Smith, Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus., II, 1854, p. 400, n. 

 61. 

 " Greene, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, VII, 



1860, p. 174, n. 13, 9 . 

 Cresson, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., II, 1863, p. 108, 



n. 44, 9 S . 

 Holmberg, Anal. Soc. Cient. Argent., VIII, 1879, 

 p. 156, n. 1, 9 S cf . 

 cayennensis var. violaceus Ant. Handlirsch, Ann. Naturh. 

 Hofmus. Wien., Ill, 1888, p. 241, 9 S c? (pars). 

 violaceus Hudson, Nat. in La Plata, 1892, p. 154. 

 cayennensis var. violaceus Dalla Torre, Cat. Hym., X, 1896, 



p. 514 (pars). 

 violaceus Dalla Torre, Cat. Hym., X, 1896, p. 563. 



