156 HYMENOPTERA ACULEATA. 



thoracic spots, and witb the abdomen rather less elongate, 

 somewhat shining, and less hairy, the genital armature 

 much smaller in proportion, the sagittse narrow and 

 parallel-sided, shorter than the stipites, which have no 

 apical fringe of hairs, but each terminates in a sharp spine, 

 their inner margins posteriorly are deeply sinuate, and 

 then almost meet and run parallel to each other nearly to 

 the apex ; tibiae with exserted hairs. 



? and 5 with the abdomen more regularly banded, and 

 the markings more constant than in any of the preceding, 

 the first segment with a black basal band slightly produced 

 in the centre, second and third each with a broad band 

 slightly produced in the centre, and near each side, fourth 

 and fifth narrowly banded with a slight central angle ; the 

 surface is shining as in rufa and austriaca j clypeus with only 

 a single, small, central spot ; tibias with long exserted 

 hairs. 



L. (J 15 mm., ? 18 mm. ? 15 mm. 



This species hardly varies in its markings ; it is common 

 in many localities, and frequents the flowers of Scrophularia , 

 It makes its nests in the branches of trees ; but Smith says 

 that he has once or twice found it inhabiting an under- 

 ground nest, and that it is very partial to the flowers of 

 Ballota nigra. 



Mr. Newstead records an embryo nest of this species 

 built of blue paper, taken by Mr. A. 0. Walker at Colwyn 

 Bay in 1892, and now in the Grosvenor Museum, Chester. 



V. norvegica, Fab. — Closely allied to sylvestris, but 

 distinguishable from that species by the broad black 

 centrally dilated stripe down the middle of the clypeus, 

 which is also more remotely punctured than in sylvestris, 

 and by the band of the second abdominal segment, which is 

 laterally abbreviated and often terminates in a red spotj 

 besides these general characters the cJ has much longer 

 autennee, and the armature is very diflerently formed ; 

 the stipites have their inner margin slightly sinuate near 



