APIS. (**. d. 2, «.) 305 



lipes. When the insect first makes its appearance 

 in the spring, the down of the upper side of the 

 body, the anus excepted, is of a reddish yelloWj 

 answering to the description and figure of the for- 

 mer; later in the year, when it has been long dis- 

 closed, this becomes cinereous, or greyish, and 

 then it agrees with those of the latter. I suspect 

 ji. cochlearipes of Christius to be a different spe- 

 cies, for there are several that are distinguished by 

 similar pedes secundarii, although Panzer has re- 

 ferred to it as synonymous with A. pilipes. It is 

 singular that an insect should be described undef 

 so many different names, and prove at last to be 

 entitled to none of them. This point I shall now 

 endeavour to prove as briefly as possible. When 

 I first set out in my entomological career, I began 

 to notice the motions of this jipis, and have con- 

 tinued to do so occasionally ever since. Early in 

 the spring the male may generally be seen attend- 

 ant upon his swarthy bride, fluttering round her, 

 or hovering over her, while she, with great coolness, 

 collects the honey from flower to flower, without 

 bestowing any attention upon him : if she departs, 

 he departs ; and if she returns, he returns likewise. 

 During the season of courtship, his whole employ- 

 size is greatly smaller than A. virginica. Panzer's certainly 

 belongs to ours, Linneus, in tlie MS. notes mentioned above, 

 has described another Apis under tliis name, which he received 

 from Forster, in these terms : Hispanica A. nigra, abdomine 

 tcstaceo apice nigro; segraentis duobus penuJtimis albis. 



ment 



