Oftu [Novembe:-, 



The SpJiecodes were in all cases fully developed and not enclosed 

 in cocoons. The cells which contained three of them were preserved. 

 They were uniform in size, and though unlike the Eucera cells in size 

 and shape, they were indistinguishable from those of the Andrencd. 

 Bees Nos. 2 and 6 differed very much in length, although they were 

 both of the same sex, tenanted cells of equal size, and were apparently 

 raised under the same conditions. The smaller seem to have had too 

 abundant a supply of food, for he left a quantity of unconsumed 

 pollen in his cell. 



This experiment seems to prove pretty conclusively that S. ruhi- 

 cundits in this bank is an inquiline of one or both of the Andrence that 

 nidificate there. It throws no light, however, on the life-history of our 

 August-appearing Sphecodes. No doubt they are inquilines also ; 

 probably observation will prove the correctness of the old theory that 

 they live with the Halicti. 



It rather surprised me to find so many of next year's bees already 

 in the perfect state, seeing that they were not destined to issue from 

 the ground for nine or ten months. With the Eucera there is another 

 point of interest. In the 180 tenanted cocoons that I dug up there 

 was not one insect in the pupa state ; they were all either larvae or 

 fully developed bees. It will be interesting to note whether the 

 Eucera in both these stages will emerge from the bank as perfect 

 bees next spring, or whether the larva? will require another year in 

 order to attain maturity. 



K/ipple Court, near Dover : 



September 2Uh, 1895. 



SPHECODES RUBICUNBUS, v. HAG. 

 BY EDWARD SAUNDEES, F.L.S. 



The capture of this species as above related by Mr. Sladen is of 

 special interest, as it not only is an addition to our list of Hymenoptera, 

 but also is the only species of the genus whose male has been recorded 

 in this country as occurring in the spring of the year. 



In the south-west of France Prof. Perez records two other of our 

 species as having spring males, viz., spimdosus and pilifrons, but there 

 is no record of their males having occurred in Britain in the early 



