204 [September, 



fresh records of the species are given by Mr. Saunders either in his 

 Synopsis (1S84) or his Hymenoptera Aculeata, &c. (1896). 



I was, therefore, naturally much surprised and pleased to capture 

 a (^ of the species on July 10th of this year visiting thistles within a 

 few hundred yards of Weybridge Railway Station. The day was dull 

 and windy, with few bees about, and though I have twice since re- 

 visited the place, the weather has been so bad on both occasions as to 

 destroy all chance of my repeating the capture or discovering the 

 nidus of the insect. As H. truncorum nests in wood, there is of 

 course a possibility that my specimen may have been introduced acci- 

 dentally in timber from abroad. But I do not think this very likely, 

 as I have always found it abroad inhabiting old rotten posts and rails, 

 never fresh or sound timber ; and, considering the general distribu- 

 tion of the species throughout Europe, it is really less strange that it 

 should occur in England, than that it should be so rare here as it 

 undoubtedly is. 



At any rate, I hope that this capture — certainly the first in 

 England for 50 and perhaps for 100 years (Kirby's specimens were 

 recorded in 1802) — may be considered as renewing the almost expired 

 right of Heriades truncorum, L., to figure in the British List. 



Mr. Saunders has called my attention to the singular circum- 

 stance that Weybridge is also the assigned locality for two other 

 species of aculeates, which no one has found in England since Smith 

 recorded them thence, viz. , Me^achile ericetorum, Lep. (^pyrina. Smith), 

 and Crahro dypeatus, Linn. Both these insects, like H. truncorum, 

 are common abroad, and it is hard to see why they should refuse so 

 persistently to turn up in this country. 



Brunswick, Woking : 



August 8th, 1900. 



NOMADA ATRATA, Suits, = BREVICORNIS, ScnuiED., RE-ADMITTED 

 ~^~~~~ INTO THE BRITISH LIST. 



BY EDWARD SAUNDEES, F. L. S. 



On the 4th inst., whilst collecting on the hills near West Clandon, 

 I took a curious-looking very dark brown (^ Nomada on Scabiosa 

 (Knautia) arvensis, Linn., in company with a few examples of Andrena 

 Cetii, Schr., and one or two of Nomada jacobcsw. At first I thought 

 it might be a vevy dark fn'ruyiiiata, but as soon as I compared it with 

 my specimens of that species I saw it was quite distinct. On turning 

 to my Continental collection I found a ^ of hrevicomis, Schmied., 



