354 T. D. A. COCKERELL. 



The following account of the Halicitines of Chile, as represented 

 in the Museum, is offered because of the interesting characters they 

 present. A few bear Spinolian names which have never been pub- 

 lished ; in two cases these names would be homonyms if published 

 now. 

 Rhopalictus gayi* (Halictus gayi, Spiuola) 9- 



Metallic blue; face broad, eyes not emarginate; no facial fovese ; 

 an ten nfe placed in large hollows, between which is a keel ; prothorax 

 normal; parapsidal grooves distinct; three impressed lines on 

 anterior middle of mesothorax ; no floccus at base of hind legs ; 

 abdomen broad, narrowing about equally to base and apex ; no 

 pygidial plate; extreme apex of abdomen with bright fulvous hair 

 and a distinct rima; hind spur stout but perfectly simple ; b. n. 

 only very slightly curved, meeting t. m. ; marginal cell with pointed 

 end away from costa ; second s. m. greatly narrowed above; first 

 r. n. entering second s. m. at its end ; first s. m. not longer than 

 third, either on marginal nervure or below ; stigma dark and fairly 

 large. 



This certainly cannot remain in Halictus; it has rather the 

 appearance of an Andrenid, but is by no means an Andrena. It 

 does not seem close to the species ordinarily placed in Corynura. 

 Dalla Torre cites "Halictus {Corynura.) gayi Spinola, Gay: Hist. 

 fis. Chile, Zool. VI. 1851, p. 208, n. 10, and p. 301, n. 1." The 

 original description, however, calls it simply Halictus gayi, nothing 

 being said about Corynura. 



Paragapostemon mutabilis (Halictus mutabilis, Spiuola) 9 • 



Head, thorax, and basal half of abdomen shades of peacock-green 

 and purple; abdomen bright red, the colors like those of H. 

 placidus. Hind spur with a large blunt tooth and a lamina ; eyes 

 fairly emarginate; basal nervure strongly bent. Greatly resembles 

 placidus. See also Vachal, Misc. Ent., 1903, p. 96. f 



* Mr. J. D. Alfken (Rev. Chil. Hist. Nat., 1904, p. 141) refers Halictus gayi, 

 Spin., H. posticus, Spin., aud H. gayatinus, Spin., all to Ceratina. They do not 

 look like species of Ceratina, and it had uot occurred to me to refer them there. 

 The mouth-parts I was uot able to examine. In the light of Mr. Alfken's state- 

 ment, and considering the precisely Ceratina-Wke grooves on the thorax of H. 

 gayi, I believe that these insects (certainly out of place in Halictus) are Ceratinids, 

 but I should think that they must represent a genus distinct from Ceratina. 



f Vachal does not cite a type for Paragapostemon : P. podager [Halictus podager 

 Vach.) may be taken as the type. 



