The Humble-bees comprise a fine group of insects in this 

 country, readily distinguished by their hairy and handsome 

 clothino-. In the first fine days ot" spring, or even earlier, the 

 females, which 1 believe hybernate, are attracted by the blos- 

 soms of the Willows to collect honey and pollen ; the neuters 

 appear later in the season, but the males are not common till 

 the autumn, when, as Mr. Kirby observes, " the thistles are 

 in bloom, upon the flowers of which they are abundant, some- 

 times seemingly asleep, or torpid, at others acting as if intoxi- 

 cated with the sweets they have been imbibing." 



Humble-bees build their nests in the roots of trees or 

 amongst rubbish of bricks and stones ; they may be constantly 

 seen in the summer collecting moss for the purpose of cover- 

 ing their nests, which ai'e sometimes lined with wax. The 

 comb is irregular, and formed of oval cocoons made of a kind 

 of silk daubed with wax ; they vary greatly in number, some- 

 times amounting to sixty, and are adapted in size to the three 

 sexes. Want of space compels me to refer the reader to the 

 6th vol. of Reaumur, and to Kirby's Monograph, for admi- 

 rable accounts of this interesting tribe. 



Perhaps no genus presents more difficulties in determining 

 the species than Bombus; there are males, females, and neu- 

 ters of two sizes, and the hairs with which they are clothed 

 vary in colour with age ; it is therefore only by examining their 

 nests that the species can be ascertained, and perhaps not then 

 with constant or unerring success. I have some suspicion 

 that there are hybrids, and my friend Mr. Lyell took a female 

 of B. subintey-ruptus or terrestris, and two specimens of B. syl~ 

 varum or Burrellamis out of the same nest in Scotland, and I 

 have specimens of the second and third of these insects, which 

 were captured together. 



One species was added to this genus in my Guide, and since 

 then three others have been discovered. 



12*. B. Hypnorum Linn. — Panz. 7.12. 



Found near Hampstead by Mr. Shuckard. 

 .13*. ericetorum Pa7iz. 75. 19.? — Curt. Brit. Ent. pi. 564'. c?. 



Mr. Lyell kindly presented this specimen to me, which he 

 took at Kinnordy. It does not quite agree with Panzer's 

 figure. 



15. Pomorum Panz. 86. 18. 



I took this handsome species near Dover the middle of Au- 



gust. 



24*. regelationis Panz. 86. 17» 



Found near Halifax by Mr. A. H. Davis. 



The Plant is Tillcca muscosa (Mossy Red-shanks). 



