55 MELITTA. (*.;. b ) 



sulphurei, femoribusposticisbasi, anterioribus 

 subtus, piceis. Apophyses primi paris articulo 

 secundo subtus flavo. 

 Abdomen linearc, nitidissimum, ano obtuso, 



segmentis intermediis basi depressiusculis. 

 Var. /S tibiis quatuor posticis striga nigricanti, 



digitorum etiam articulus extimus nigrescit. 

 I have added a mark of interrogation to the sy- 

 nonym of Geoffroy, because he describes his spe-r 

 cimcns as having, the abdomen excepted, a black 

 body ; in other respects they appear to have been ex - 

 actly similar to our insect. M.Jiavipes is not very 

 imlike the Apis tumuloruvi of Linneus. Since the 

 latter insect has been universally mistaken by en- 

 tomologists for one of the Eucerce of Scopoli and 

 Fabricius, (as I shall have occasion to observe more 

 at large when I come to that family) it will not, I 

 think, be unacceptable if I give a fuller description 

 of it below, taken from the authentic specimens in 

 the Linnean cabinet ; thus future errors concern- 

 ing it may be prevented {m). 



16. M. 



(m) tu- M. atra, glabriuscula ; antennis corpora bre\'ioribus, subtus 

 mutorum, fulvis ; pedibus^ maxillisqne, flavescentibus. 



Apis tumulorum antennis filiformibus longit\idine cor- 

 poris nigri ; pedibus maxillisque fliivescentibus. 



Lin. Syst. Nat. ed. 12. & Gmel. p. 2/70. n.2., Fn. 

 Suec. 1685. //. Gotl. 336. 



JVIUS. D. Smith Linnean. 



Long. Corp, Lin. 3. 

 JIal, In Wisingsoae Succiae tumulis sepulchralibus. Lin. 



DESCR, 



