1884. J 229 



Halictus breviceps, E. Saund., and H. Irevicornis, SchencJc.— In my Synopsis of 

 British Hymenoptera (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1882, pp. 218 and 221) I described 

 two species of Halictus under the names brevicornis, Schenck, and breviceps, E. 

 Saund. I regret that I must now withdraw the brevicornis of my Synopsis from our 

 list, as its exponents are, I believe, referable to the S of breviceps, E. S., and not to 

 the true brevicornis, Schenck. 



When I described brevicornis I had only seen two $ specimens from the 

 country, and on comparing them with a S brevicornis received from C. Ritsema, I 

 was satisfied of their identity. I therefore described the species as British, charac- 

 terizing the ? from a Dutch specimen. 



Whilst at Hayling Island in August last year, I took the $ of what I had called 

 brevicornis pretty freely on thistle-heads, and the ? of my breviceps on Crepis 

 flowers near the same spot, and I searched in vain day after day for ? brevicornis 

 and (? breviceps, till it began to dawn upon me that the males and females that I had 

 been taking must be sexes of the same species ; accordingly, on my return home, I 

 very carefully examined my males a second time with Eitsema's brevicornis, and, 

 although the two species are even more alike than usual in this genus, I can see 

 that they are really distinct. The face of breviceps $ is slightly longer than 

 that of our species, and the clypeus rather narrower ; the joints of the an- 

 tennce towards the apex are slightly longer than broad, instead of being slightly 

 broader than long ; the mesothorax is less remotely punctured, and the genital armi- 

 ture has the sagittfe less raised, and the basal portion or " cardo " smaller. Still the 

 two males are very closely allied, and in general aspect are almost indistinguishable ; 

 the females of the two species are at once separable by the shape of the face and the 

 very different puncturation of the mesothorax. I have sent specimens to C. 

 Ritsema, and although the species was unknown to him, he thought the $ and ^ 

 sent were probably referable to one species. The synonymy will now stand as given 

 in my Catalogue — breviceps, E. Saund., = brevicornis, E. S., $ , nee Schenck. — 

 Edwaed Saundbes, St. Ann's, Mason's Hill, Bromley, Kent : Feb. 12th, 1884. 



William Buckler, who, as already announced, died on the 9th January of 

 bronchitis, was born 13th September, 1814, at Newport, in the Isle of Wight, and 

 received his early education in his native town ; when quite young, he showed great 

 aptitude and taste for drawing ; this was recognised by Captain (afterwards Admiral) 

 Ffarrington, of Woodvale, near Cowes, through whose influence he was introduced 

 to the studio of Mr. Sass, Soho, whence, after having completed his course in a highly 

 creditable manner, he became a student of the Royal Academy, and distinguished 

 himself in the Antique School, and in drawing from life. Though a painter in oils, 

 he turned his attention mainly to water-colours, in which he was a successful portrait 

 painter, and from 1836-56, he was fully engaged by numerous and influential 

 patrons ; during these years he exhibited sixty-two subjects at the Royal Academy 

 — his pictures were always highly finished and pleasing. In 1857 he wrote : " this 

 being the first year I have omitted sending anything." 



He lived for some years at 32, Orchard Street, Portman Square, London, but 

 about 1848 he settled at Emsworth in the South of Hampshire, and after a time 

 began to " turn his attention to Entomology, as an amusement for his leisure 



