1 54 HYMENOPTERA ACULEATA. 



base, the other segments have each a triangular spot in the 

 middle of the base, and a round spot on each side. 



? and 5 with a short straight perpendicular black line 

 at the base of the clypeus, and two small black spots below 

 it or with tbree small spots only, the yellow stripes of the 

 pronotum more or less produced on their external margin ; 

 this, I believe, is never the case in vulgaris ; basal segment 

 of the abdomen with only three black spots, the central one 

 diamond-shaped and extending to the apex of the segment, 

 the second and following segments vary in the extent of 

 the black colour, but have generally a narrow black central 

 spot at the base, sometimes springing from a basal band, 

 and a round dorsal spot on each side. 



L. c? 17 mm., ? 18-22 mm., ? 12-16 mm. 



Equally common as vulgaris, Mr. Newstead says it 

 frequently makes embryo nests in beehives, and that he 

 knows of a case where two nests were placed together in a 

 box, and the colonies united the nests and worked together 

 for many weeks. 



V. rufa, Linn. — Allied to the two preceding in the shape 

 of tbe face, but easily recognized by the indefinite markings 

 of the abdomen, which otherwise much resemble those of 

 gennanica, by its shining surface, black hairs, and distinctly 

 shorter basal segment ; there is also a good character 

 pointed out by Thomson, that the posterior margin of the 

 head is less sharply defined, this character, however, is 

 difficult to appreciate without removing the head. The 

 face is marked very similarly to that of vulgaris, but the 

 spots in the sinuations of the eyes are narrower and smaller, 

 and usually only border the front lobe, instead of filling the 

 whole of the sinus, the clj-peus is less strongly bidentate ; 

 the scutellum, only, bears two spots, and the base of the 

 abdomen is often more or less red, the first and second 

 segments occasionally entirely so, the black markings being 

 margined with reddish brown, which gives them an indefi- 

 nite appearance. The armature of the (J is very different 

 from either of the preceding, being much smaller in pro- 



