8-Ji i^P"i. 



The male bees are of the species referred to in Utt. as resembling in 

 habit certain SyrpTiidce, resorting to favourite spots to bask (a stone 

 or a spot of bare ground), hovering with a gradual fall, like a feather, 

 that ends almost imperceptibly in a dead stop, and standing with 

 wings half spread, read}' to dart off in an instant at the least alarm, 

 or the sight of any insect flying past. A net on a walking-stick 

 proved useless to catch them with ; they would not w-ait to be caught, 

 so the stick was exchanged for a 5 ft. length (perhaps two lengths) 

 of bamboo, provided for far-reaching on mountain slopes and by rivers 

 and lakes ; and, out of four bees seen, two were secured. At first 

 I really mistook the bee momentarily for a Syrphid. By the time 

 I had strolled up and down two or three times over their haunts, it 

 had become too late in the day to look for more." 



A remarkable feature in the fj of Bombus viendax is the enor- 

 mous size of the eyes, which approximate on the vertex : and it is a 

 curious coincidence that males of the fossorial genus Astatus, whose 

 eyes unite on the vertex, have exactly the same habit. There are 

 other (J Bombi whose eyes are unusually large ; and it would be 

 interesting to ascertain w'hether their habits are of a similar nature. 



The following are some of the other species collected : — 



Crabro guttatus, Dalilb., <? , Dienitig Thai, 4000 ft.; clypeatus, Schreb., 5, 

 Diemtig Thai ; vagus, L., $ , Diemtig Thai, 3832 ft. ; Prosopis communis, L., ? , 

 Habkern Thai, 3000 ft. ; Sphecodes punticeps, Th., c? , and dimidiatus, v. Hag., $ , 

 Heinwehfluh, 2000 ft. ; Andrena miniitnla, K., Wilderswyl and Unspunnen, 2000 

 to 2200 ft. (with three Stylops) ; Nomada ochrostoma, K., ? , Lombach, 1900 ft. ; 



Ccelioxt/s mandibularis, Nyl., ? , Habkern Thai, 3100 ft. ; Osinia licolor, Schr., $ , 

 Stand, 6100—6300 ft. ; Trachusa serratida-, Pz., S , Unter Gurbs, 4400 and 

 4500 ft. ; Psithyrus rupestris, L., S , Abendberg, 3000 — 4250 ft. ; vestalis, Fourc., 



(? , various localities, 1900—3000 ft. ; barbutellus, K., $ , Habkern Thai, 2400— 

 2700 ft. ; campesfris, Pz., <? , Lombach and Habkern Thai, 1900—2780 ft. ; globo- 

 sus,'Ev., <?, Habkern Thai, 3000 ft.; 4-color, Lep., S, Habkern Thai, 3000 ft. ; 

 Bombiis agrornm, F., $, various localities, 2900 — 4250 ft.; venusttts, Sni., <? , 

 Abendberg and Habkern Thai, 2100 — 4600 ft. ; hypnorum, L., S , Abendberg, 

 3000 — 4250 ft. ; hortorum, L., c? , various localities, 2400— 4G00 ft. ; latreiUellus, 

 K., (J , Abendberg, 3000 — 4250 ft. ; mastrucafus, Gerst., <? , Abendberg and Hab- 

 kern Thai, 2100— 4600 ft. ; lapponicus, F., $, Stand., 6100-6300 ft.; mendax, 

 Gerst., $ , Stand., 6100—6300 ft. ; sylvarum, L , <?, Gsteig, 2100 ft. ; lapidarius, 

 L., S , various localities, 1900 — 4600 ft. ; soroensis, F., S , Lombach, Abendberg, 

 and Habkern Thai, 1900—4600 ft. 



Westcliff-on-Sea : 



March 3rd, 1909. 



