4 [June, 



Boulay, Esq I stated that this was the first instance in which a 

 species of bee had been discovered having true capitate antennae, 

 exactly resembling in general form those of a species of Argynnis. So 

 truly are they papilionaceous in form, that the whole of the joints, from 

 the second to the eleventh, are exceedingly slender and filiform, the 

 two terminal ones forming a black knob or club. This I characterized, 

 as being the most remarkable deviation from the normal form of the 

 antennae of a bee with which I was acquainted ; only a single instance 

 at all approaching this singular construction being known to me ; this 

 is in a species of the genus Melissodcs from Rio, being one of the long- 

 horned bees {Euceridce), of Brazil. In this species, however, it is only 

 the apical joint that is enlarged and compressed, the three sub-apical 

 ones being slender ; the rest are of the usual form. I therefore 

 concluded that the Axistralian bee, Thaumatosoma Duhoulai/i, was an 

 unique and beautiful instance of the endless variety of forms, with 

 which, by degrees, we are becoming acquainted. Great then was my 

 surprise when Professor Westwood acquainted us tluit he had long ago 

 described a bee with antennae " much more like those of a butterfly " 

 than tlie one before him ; more like they could not possibly be ; indeed, 

 tliey are so like, that a Lepidopterist seriously asked me whether I 

 really had not stuck a butterfly's antennae on. That a species of bee 

 should have been described by a brother Hymenopterist, a bee too of 

 so remarkable a character, I may indeed say, not only took me by 

 surprise, but convicted me of an unpardonable degree of ignorance, 

 having published what I had put forth as a complete list of described 

 species ; this, in itself, was bad enough, but it did not end here ; 

 Mr. du Boulay's discovery lost all claim to novelty ! 



My first aim and endeavour naturally was to obtain a clue to the 

 whereabouts of this antecedent butterfly-horned bee, and also a 

 knowledge of the work in which it was described, the results I will 

 presently show; but I must here state the object of these observations ; 

 it is to correct an erroneous conclusion which many will probably arrive 

 at, namely, that I have not described a great novelty. Should this be 

 the case, what follows will remove such an opinion. I still claim for 

 Mr. du l^uulay's discovei-y all the novelty and interest to which I 

 originally deemed them entitled. 



The insect described by Mr. Westwood, eight or ten years ago, 

 belonged to the Entomological Society, having been presented by the 

 Kev. Mr. Kirby. It is now in the British Museum, having been 

 presented, together with all type specimens, to the National Collectiou 

 by tho Entomological Society ; it is a species of Nomia, a genus which 



