inoi.] 167 



tured the insect at Wallasey in the month of July last year; it was 

 niniiinuf up and down a wooden ])ost, [H'obably sean-hing for a burrow 

 of some Meqachile or Osmia in which to deposit its eggs. 



Mr. Saunders is kindly contributii.g a specific dcscri|)tion of the 

 bee in a separate note. 



Reform Club, Liverpool : 



June \2th, 1901. 



CCELIOXYS MANDIBULARIS, Nyl. 



Notis. Saells. Faun. Flor. Feiin. Fort., i, p. 2.')2, T. 3, fig. 13. 



Br EDWARD SAUNDERS, P.L.S., V.-P.E.S. 



Mr. Gax'dner has asked me to draw up a short account of the 

 distinguishing characters of this interesting addition to our fauna, 

 which, I hope, now that attention has been called to it, will be found 

 in other parts of the country. Tt superficially resembles the other 

 species so closely that it may have occurred frequently without being 

 noticed. Small females with triangular white hair spots on the sides 

 of the abdomen should be carefully examined as to the form of the 

 mandibles. 



Thi.s species closely resembles C. eloni/ata, Lep., and C. acuminata, Nyl., but as 

 a rule it is slightly smaller than either of these. The ealearia, however, are black 

 in both sexes, and in the $ the second abdominal segment above the lateral trans- 

 verse fovea is densely clothed with velvety pubescence. The fifth ventral segment is 

 formed as in elongata, i.e., without any central emargination. The 9 may be dis- 

 tinguished from any of our species by the form of the mandibles; these are 

 produced into a distinct angle near the centre on their anterior side, just above the 

 base of the apical groove ; the mandibles are densely clothed with hairs and con- 

 sequently the angle is easily overlooked. To see it fully the insect should be 

 turned on its back and the mandibles examined from behind, when it appears most 

 conspicuously; besides this, the black ealearia, the widely interrupted abdominal bands 

 which form triangular lateral spots, the rather less remote puncturation, the nar- 

 rower apical ventral valve, which has less distinct lateral teeth, and the narrowly 

 interrupted ventral bands ai'e apparently constant characters. 



Length, 8 — 10 mm. (the British specimen only measures 8 m.in., but it is 

 probably unusually small, as my Continental examples are all larger). 



This appears to be a somewhat scarce species everywhere. Friese 

 (Die Bienen Europa's, i, p. 06) records it from Central Europe, 

 Sweden, Petersburg, Helendorf (Caucasus). T have specimens from 

 Switzerland, and both sexes from Ritsema labelled " Bloemdaal, June 

 25th, IS77, Echium vidgare.'''' Its host, I believe, is not known, and 

 anv information on this i)oint would be of great interest. 



St. Ann's, Woking : 



Jitiie nth, 1901. 



