INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 4p; 



Tfnuch success as could be expected. The Apes 

 that come under that subdivision of his Tetrapteirt, 

 which he denominates Gregaria et Favijica, he 

 considers as forming a distinct section, which he 

 names MeUtfica ; this he divides into what may 

 well be called two genera : viz. Apis. Corpora 

 longiore, angustiore, et glabriore. Bomhylius. 

 Corpore breviore, latiore, et hirsuto. These, 

 probably, gave Linneus the hint for his two fa- 

 milies. Ray seems to have paid particular atten- 

 tion to this genus, and has described several species 

 with great accuracy. 



Of the other predecessors of Linneus, I shall 

 rrlention only that illustrious French naturalist 

 Reaumur, to whom this genus is under greater 

 obligations than to any entomologist who either 

 went before or succeeded him. To him nature 

 lifted up the veil that covers her aAvful face, and 

 was delighted to initiate him into her most secret 

 mysteries. Though not strictly a systematist, he 

 has enriched his great work with innumerable facts 

 and observations, which may be made of the greatest 

 use to the systematical naturalist. He did not usu- 

 ally construct generic characters, but in separating 

 his Proaheille from Apis, he laid a foundation for 

 the division of this genus into two natural genera(7z). 



To 



(ji) " Peut-etrc," says he, speaking of one of these, " qu'elles 

 doivent 6tre mises dans un genre particulicr, qui auroit le nom 

 de Proaleilles. Leur trompe diffcre par quelques particularitcs 



E de- 



