234 HYMENOPTERA. 



tibiae and tarsi rather dark chestnut-red, hind spur with four very stout 

 blunt teeth, the last small ; hind tibia? and tarsi with much black hair ; 

 second and third abdominal segments each with a very even, clean-cut 

 dense band of light fulvous hair ; surface of abdomen microscopically 

 transversely striatulate ; fourth and fifth segments also with basal hair- 

 bands, but these are almost wholly concealed by the segments before ; 

 hind margins of segments not at all pallid ; caudal rima yellowish ; 

 sides of apical segment with long dark hairs ; venter with a pale curled 

 scopa. 



A very curious species, combining the characters of the 

 very dissimilar H. stirlingi and H. blackburni. 



Hab. — Cairns, Queensland, " Kur., 3. 02" {Turner). Brit- 

 ish Museum. 



Halictus davidis sp, nov. 



9 . Length about 10 mm. ; rather robust, black, the abdomen shin- 

 ing coal-black without hair-bands or patches ; resembles H. carbona- 

 rius Sm., but less strongly punctured. Mandibles black; clypeus 

 shining, with sparse small punctures ; scape black, flagellum faintly 

 brownish beneath ; front with scattered small punctures ; ocelli amber- 

 color, in a low triangle ; vertex and sides of front with dark fuscous 

 hair ; mesothorax smooth, with a strong glaucous tint, and smali 

 scattered punctures, its anterior and lateral margins rather densely 

 clothed with black hair ; pleura strongly, mainly vertically, striate, with 

 pale hair ; upper margin of prothorax, and tubercles, especially the 

 latter, densely fringed with white hair ; area of metathorax ill-defined, 

 except behind, where it is limited by a very sharp and prominent 

 transverse rim ; surface of area with a feeble rugose sculpture, the 

 plica? ill-defined and very weak ; tegula? piceous ; wings strongly in- 

 fuscated, brownish, nervures and stigma sepia ; second s. m. rather 

 large, receiving first r. n. at its apical corner; thirds, m. much larger 

 than second ; legs black, the femora with white hair, tibia? and tarsi 

 with hair nearly all black ; spurs ferruginous, hind spur with very fine 

 teeth or spines, abdomen with very fine and minute punctures, the 

 second and third segments also microscopically transversely lineolate ; 

 sides of abdomen, and apical half of venter, with black or dark fuscous 

 hair ; basal half of venter with white hair, more or less curled, form- 

 ing a scopa. 



<? . Length about 8i mm. ; much more slender ; greater part of cly- 

 peus light yellow, but the margin ferruginous ; flagellum very long, 

 strongly crenulate and dark coffee-brown beneath ; area of metathorax 

 larger and rather more strongly sculptured ; first r. n. meeting second 

 t. c. ; anterior tibia red in front, tarsi becoming red at apex, tibia? and 

 tarsi with pale hair, a little dark on anterior and middle tibia?. The 

 striated pleura and glaucous mesothorax as in the female. 



