BEES IN BRITISH MUSEUM. 329 



Melissodes ambigua Sm. 9 (T.). 



A species suggestive of M. perplexa, but that has light hair on 

 pleura, while the hair on the pleura of ambigua is black. Much 

 black hair on mesothorax and scutellum, but the light hair is dull 

 whitish, not fulvo-ferruginous ; scopa of hind tibia plumose; hair 

 on inner side of last joint of hind tarsi black ; first r. n. joins second 

 s. m. far before its end. 



M«'lisso«les assimilis Sin. % , 9 (T.). 



Not a true Melissodes I think, but its place must be settled by an 

 examination of the mouth-parts. % . — Clypeus and labrum black ; 

 antennse only moderately long, not reaching to abdomen, black, with 

 a very faint reddish tinge on flagellum beneath; flagellum crenula- 

 ted ; first r. n. joins second s. m. a considerable distance before the 

 end. 9 . — Flagellum bright ferruginous beneath, except at base ; 

 hind middle of mesothorax and middle of scutellum with black 

 hair, surrounded on all sides by bright rufo-fulvous ; hind tarsus 

 with the hair on inner side of first joint reddish-black ; scopa of hind 

 tibia abundant and strongly plumose. 



Melisxodes atrata Sm. % (T.). 



Maxillary palpi 5-jointed, the fifth minute; therefore not a true 

 Melissodes. Clypeus black, with a large transverse yellow patch ; 

 mandibles with no yellow spot ; hair of pleura and dorsum of thorax 

 black ; first r. n. joins second s. rn. not much beyond its middle. 



Jlelissodes obscura Sm. 9 (T.). 



S. Paulo, Brazil. Maxillary palpi 5-jointed; not a true Metis 

 sodes. Middle and hind tibiae with very large spurs; hair of hind 

 tibiae black, long, bristle like, simple; abdomen peculiarly marked, 

 black, with base of first segment with ochraceous hair, second with 

 a basal streak of white tomentum on each side under rim of first, 

 fourth with two large ochraceous spots (sometimes two little spots 

 on third), fifth and apex nearly all rufo-ochraceous. 

 Melissodes manipularis Sm. % iT.). 



Antennae long, flagellum bright ferruginous beneath ; clypeus yel- 

 low, labrum with a large yellow spot; mandibles with no yellow 

 spot; posterior part of mesothorax and scutellum with much black 

 hair, surrounding hair ochraceous; first r. n. joins second s. m. not 

 far from its end. 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC. XXXI. (42) SEPTEMBER, 1905 



