NOTES ON THE ACULEATE HYMENOPTERA. 35 



M. spurius is rather smaller, -which alone induces me to 

 add a note of doubt to my insect ; but as it possesses, in com- 

 mon with M. spurius, a central longitudinal carina on the 

 dorsal surface of the metathorax, I am unwilling to consider 

 a little difference in size as of much specific value. 



Astata stigma. The female occurred at Deal in the month 

 of July ; last year I captured one in September ; the male 

 has not yet been taken in this country. I had the pleasure of 

 adding the species to our fauna in 1836, by capturing a 

 single female ; it was not again met with until last year, when 

 I took a second example, and my capture of 1856 makes the 

 third : these are all which have occurred in this country to 

 my knowledge. 



Oxybelus mucronatus. This insect was described by Mr. 

 Curtis as a new species, which he named 0. argentatus ; it 

 has been frequently taken at Bideford, Devon, and I be- 

 lieve it has occurred near Liverpool ; this season I took it on 

 the Deal sand-hills. 



The scarce Mellinus sabulosus has been taken at Notting- 

 ham by Mr. C. F. Allen of that place. 



Apid^. 



Colletes marginal a. This hitherto extremely rare species 

 occurs in July at Deal ; it was first taken in this country 

 by Dr. Leach, and Mr. Samuel Stevens next took it at Little 

 Hampton, Sussex ; at Deal it is not uncommon, but con- 

 fined to one particular locality ; I did not observe a single 

 example in any other situation. 



Andrena decorata. The rare species has been taken by 

 Mr. Parfitt in the neighbourhood of Exeter. 



Cilissa tricincta. This very local species I found not un- 

 common at and in the neighbourhood of Deal : nearly all 



d2 



