1900.] 13 



Aculeate nymenoptera at Stohoroufjh Heath and Wareham, Dorset. — I spent 

 three weeks this summer (July — August) in a thorough seareli for Odynerus hasalis, 

 but, to my great disappointment, without success. In 1895 and 96 I had visited 

 Stoborough in August, and fancied if I could get in a week or two in July I should 

 probably re-discover this species ; but it was not to be, basalis could not be found, 

 nor did the collecting generally prove good, Wareham yielding far more rarities. 

 Here, in the earthen ramparts of this charming old town, Mntilla rufipes, Latr., 

 was found in numbers, the beautiful bee, Dasypoda hirtipex, was equally common, 

 and Myrmosa melanocephala, Fab., Salius affinis, v. d. L., Pompilus rufipes, Linn., 

 Megachile argentata, Fab., and other interesting Aculeates gave an interest to a day's 

 collecting.— G. A. James Rothney, 8, Versailles Road, Anerley : Oct. 2\st, 1899. 



Aculeate Hymenoptera at Birmingham, cf-e.— Nearly all my collecting this 

 season has been at Moseley, Birmingham. A move from a grand locality like Sutton 

 Coldfield, with its wild Park of 2000 acres, to Moseley, a suburb of Birmingham, was 

 not a cheerful prospect from a collector's point of view, but so far it has proved 

 better than I expected. The south side of Birmingham years ago used to have a 

 fair reputation for Aculeates, but the builder has obliterated most of the best spots, 

 nevertheless, good insects still remain, as the following results will show : — 



Myrmosa melanocephala (2 ci" , 4 ?). Salius notatulus (3). Pompilus niger 

 (10), gibbus, nnguicularis, pectinipes (the last two new to me). Diodontus minutus 

 (common), tristis. Passalcecus insignis (4). Pemphredon Shuckardi (common). 

 Ceratophorus morio (2), Mimesa Dahlbomi ; these two rarities are additions to my 

 collection. Psen palUpes. Gorytes tumidus, Birmingham is an old locality for this 

 rarity. Prosopis communis, hyalinata, brevicornis. Mellinus arvensis, the first 

 time I have met with this in the Midlands. Oxybelus uniglumis in swarms, could 

 take a dozen at one stroke of the net. Crabro well represented— c/aj;j/»e5, palmipes, 

 varius, dimidiatus, cribrarius, peltarius, chrysostoma, interrupftts, cephalotes ; the 

 last named species, although common in the south, seems rare in the Midlands, as I 

 have never taken it before. Odynerus spinipes, callosus, parietum, pictus, trimargi- 

 natus, trifasciatus. Colletes Daviesanus, very common. Seven species of Sphecodes 

 occurred — gibbus, subquadratus, pilifrons, affinis (all four common), similis, dimidi- 

 atus, puncticeps (\). Halictus leucozonius, atricornis, leucopus, Smeathmanellus, 

 morio. Andrena roste v. Trimmerana (common), two males of second brood taken 

 in August, nigrocenea (in my garden), humilis. Nomada Lathburiana, alternata, 

 flavoguttata. Osmia rtifa, nests in side of house between the bricks, fulviventris, 

 an addition to the list. Chelostoma Jlorisomne in my garden. Four species of 

 Psithyrus occurred — rupestris, vestalis, campestris, quadricolor. Bombus hortorum 

 was taken in great variety, and also the vars. lucorum and virginalis of terrestris. 



Three days spent in the neighbourhood of Evesham in the middle of August 

 yielded Psen pallipes, Prosopis communis, hyalinata. Halictus tumiilorum, morio. 

 Crabro vagus. Megachile ligneseca ^ . Anthophoraf areata. Bombus sylvarum. 



Sutton Coldfield— one ? of the rare Halictus lavigatus was taken here, and 

 three c?s of Crabro interruptus bred from the same locality. 



I am indebted to Mr. Kdward Saunders for naming the more obscure species. — 

 Ralph C. Beadley, Moseley, Birmingham : November, 1899. 



