176 MELITTA. (**. c.) 



nigro hirsutum pedes Jiavo hirsuti alee hy" 



alince, Jiavescentes." These circumstances do not 

 agree with our specimens, which renders his syno- 

 nym rather doubtful. He has figured the male as 

 the Apis farfarisequa of Scopoli, in this I think 

 he is mistaken. 



No person at first sight would take the male and 

 female of M. Swammerdamella for the same species, 

 so widely do they differ in most particulars; nor 

 should I have suspected that there w^as any con- 

 nexion between them, had I not discovered their 

 retreats. In the month of August, 1797, I saw a 

 female take her flight from a grassy declivity of a 

 southern aspect, which was much entangled with 

 roots and shrubs. Upon examining this spot more 

 narrowly, I discovered a number of small burrows, 

 each of which had a little heap of sand, which had 

 been excavated from it, lying before it. In some 

 of these burrows I saw our Melitta sitting, with her 

 head at the mouth, enjoying the sunshine; at the 

 same time I observed many other insects flying 

 about the spot. Upon my attempting to take them 

 they disappeared, but they soon returned to their 

 amusement. With some difficulty, I at length 

 succeeded in taking one, and it proved to be the 

 male just described. I have since frequently visited 

 the same spot, and at the proper season have al- 

 ways found these insects there, both males and fe- 

 males^ employed in the manner I have mentioned. 



These 



