420 apidj:. 



three cubital cells, the 1st about as long as the 2nd and 3rd united, 

 the 2nd small, subquadrate, receiving the 1st recurrent nervure 

 near its apex, the 3rd strongly restricted above towards the radial 

 cell, receiving the 2nd recurrent nervure in its apical third. Abdo- 

 men ovate, the apical segment with a longitudinal rima. 



The male differs in having the antennfe elongate, sometimes 

 longer than the head and thorax united, the cl3'peus frequently 

 much produced ; the abdomen subcyliudrical and proportionately 

 much longer than in the female. 



A'^ery little, so far as I know, is on record about the habits of 

 the Oriental species of this genus. Mr. E. E. Green of Pundaloya, 

 Ceylon, found Halictus ducalis tunnelling into a hard bank of earth 

 in April. In the nest he found beside the Halicti a specimen of the 

 parasitic bee Nomada adusta. Smith. Of the habits of the English 

 species, H. morio, Eabr., Smith records: — "Early in April the 

 females appeared, and continued in numbers to the end of June ; 

 not a single male was to be found at any time ; during the month 

 of July scarcely an individual could be found ; a solitary female 

 now and then might be seen, but the spring bees had almost dis- 

 appeared. About the middle of August the males began to come 

 forth, and by the end of the month abounded ; the females suc- 

 ceeded the males in their appearance about ten or twelve days. 

 These industrious creatures immediately began the task assigned 

 to them, burrowing and forming their nests; one of their little 

 tunnels had usually others running into it, so that a single common 

 entrance served as a passage to several cells, in each of which a 

 little ball of pollen was formed and a single egg deposited thereon. 

 The larvae were ten or twelve days consuming it, by which time 

 they were fully fed : in this state they lay until they changed to 

 the pupa state, when they very shortly became matured." 



Key to the Species. 



A. Enclosed space at base of median segment 

 with oblique divergent striae. 

 a. Head aud thorax black, sometimes with 

 a chalybeous or castaneous tint. 

 a' . Abdomen impunctate-glabrous. 

 or. Base of 2nd abdominal segment 



constricted H. splendidulus, p. 423. 



b-. Base of 2nd abdominal segment 

 not constricted. 

 a^. Second abdominal segment with 



a subapical transverse groove . . H. albescens, p. 423. 

 6*. Second abdominal segment with- 

 out any transverse groove. 

 a*. JNIediun segment with a short 



vertical carina posteriorly . . H. tristis, p. 424. 

 i'. Median segment not carinate. H. semiceinnuSj p. 424. 

 b'. Basal abdominal segment glabrous, 



remainder punctured H. catullus, p. 424. 



