53 MELITTA. (**. c.) 



nonyms rather doubtful, they may be designed, 

 however, for male insects. The synonym of Reau- 

 mur is dubious, since he says of his insect " les 

 ailes sont d'un violet fonce," which is not the case 

 with ours. Fabricius suspects that this species 

 may be the ^pis retusa of Linneus, but upon the 

 authority of the Linnean cabinet I can venture to 

 assert that it is very different from that insect. 

 Indeed the principal character which this great 

 naturalist selected to denote that species {abdominis 

 hasi retusa) is not to be found in this. 



When this little insect has loaded the hair upon 

 the sides of its metathorax, and its posterior legs 

 with pollen, the contrast between the sable hue of 

 the animal and the whiteness of the pollen is very 

 striking. 



cfwerarirt. 47. M. atra, albido-pubescens ; thorace hirsute 

 fascia atra; abdomine atro-cacrulescenti. 



ACUL. 



Apis cineraria nigra; thorace hirsute albicante fascil 



nigra J abdomine caerulescente. 

 Lin. Syst. Nat. ed. 12. ^ Gmcl. p. 2/71. n. 5. Fn. 



Suec. n. 1698. 

 Fal. Ent. Syst. Em. n. 67. 

 Fill. Ent. Eur.Z.n.S. 

 Apis atra nigerrima tota; fronte et thorace antice et 



postice albo tomcntosis; abdomine subrotundO; ahs 



semifuscis. 

 Scop. Ent. Car. n. 797. 

 Ross. Fn. Elrusc. n. 917. 



FIG. 



