CLASSIFICATION OF THE BEES. 93 



or a little above the middle of the second transverse median nervure 

 (discoidal nervure) ; second cubital cell very short, fully twice as wide 

 (or high) as long, first recurrent nervure interstitial with the second 

 transverse cubitus, the second interstitial or nearly with the third 

 transverse cubitus, or received by the hind cubital cell at or beyond 

 its apical third. 



Abdomen coarsely punctured, segments 1-3 with a distinct rim or elevated 

 margin at apex; tongue very short, triangular; maxillary palpi 

 6-jointed; labial palpi 4-jointed. the first a little the longest joint, 

 joints 2-4 subequal Tenmosoma Smith. 



Abdomen not coarsely punctured, segments 1-3 not rimmed at apex : tongue 

 elongate, linear, subspiculiform ; labial palpi 4-jointed, elongate, almost 

 attaining to the apex of tongue, the first longer than the two following 



united, the last joint the smallest Didonia Gribodo. 



First cubital cell, along the cubitus, not or scarcely longer than the second and 

 third united ; stigma well developed ; subdiscoidal nervure originating 

 below the middle of the second transverse median nervure; second 

 cubital cell short, wider than long; first recurrent nervure received 

 by the second cubital cell a little beyond the middle, the second recur- 

 rent received by the third near its apex; maxillary palpi 6-jointed; 

 labial palpi 4-jointed, the first nearly as long as joints 2-3 united. 



Sphecodes Latr. 



Family XIII. COLLETIDJ^. 



(The Obtuse-tongued Burrowing Bees). 



This family, with the next, the Prosopidse, constitute Westwood's 

 group or section obtusilingues. 



Bingham has associated both together on account of similarity in 

 the mouth parts, under the name Colletidse ; but there is a wide 

 difference in the habits of the species composing the two families, as 

 here defined, and also in their external structural characters. 



Those I have placed in this family are clothed with a more or less 

 dense pubescence on the head and the thorax, while in the Pro- 

 sopidse they are bare or nearly, the legs are also more densely bubes- 

 cent, the hind tibiae and tarsi in 9 always with a distinct pollen- 

 brush, while the front wings have three cubital cells, whereas the 

 Prosopidse only have two. 



The economy of the species are similar to those in the family 

 Andrenidse, since they construct their burrows in hard clay soil, in 

 clay banks or in the interstices of stone walls, etc. The Prosopidse, 

 on the contrary, burrow in the stems or twigs of bramble and 

 various shrubs. 



Ten genera seem to fall into this family and are tabulated below : 



