T. D. A. COCKERELL. 231 



This is quite unique among the Australian species, having 

 the appearance of a Sphecodes, but possessing the caudal 

 rima, caudal floccus at base of hind legs, etc., of Halichis. 

 The abdomen is very hairy beneath, but in the specimen 

 before me, pollen has been collected mainly on the hind 

 femora. 



Hab. — Cairns, Queensland, " Kur., 1. 02" (Turner). 

 British Museum. 



Halictus hedleyi sp. nov. 



d". Length about 5^ mm. ; head and thorax black, abdomen and 

 legs mainly red ; agrees with discription of Sphecodes tasmanice, except 

 as follows : vertex with a very faint bluish tinge, and the mesothorax 

 perhaps slightly blue-black, but so slightly that it is doubtful ; facial 

 quadrangle not broader than long, eyes strongly converging below ; 

 flagellum clear light ferruginous beneath ; scape rather short ; second 

 and third antennal joints very short, about equal, fourth much longer; 

 mesothorax, and especially scutellum, more hairy ; thread-like longi- 

 tudinal strife occupying only about basal half of metathoracic enclos- 

 ure, but these very distinct and regular ; tegulse clear light reddish- 

 testaceous ; second s. m. receiving first r. n. much beyond middle; 

 third s. m. not longer than second ; hind tibiae and tarsi entirely clear 

 red ; second and third abdominal segments, and much of fourth, red, 

 the hind margins broadly darkened ; a small black spot at each ex- 

 treme side of second and third; vertex clear red. The broad apical 

 plate is just as in Sphecodes subg. Proteraner . 



I think this is unquestionably congeneric with •S\ tasmanics, 

 but I now incline to consider both referable to a gruup dis- 

 tinct from typical Halictus, but not at present to be generi- 

 cally separated. The other species will, therefore, stand as 

 Halictus tasmanitz (Ckll.). The discovery of the females is 

 much to be desired. 



Hab. — Port Philip, Australia (Coulon) . Berlin Museum, 

 2248. 



Halictus bicingulatUS Sin., var. a. 



9 . — Rather less robust, area of metathorax smaller, hair 

 on outer side of hind tibiae pale except at base. 



Hab. — Mackay, Queensland, March, 1900 (Turner 699). 

 British Museum. 



This has a patch of fulvous hair on postscutellum, but so 

 has typical bicingulatus, contary to the statement in my table. 



TRANS. AM. EKT. SOC, XXXVI. (29*) AUGUST, 1910. 



