336 HYMENOPTERA ACULEATA. 



Tolerably common, and generally distributed, tbougli not 

 recorded from Ireland, it makes its burrows in old posts, 

 &c. Mr. R. C. L. Perkins says tbat tbis is a leaf-cutting bee, 

 but tbat it only cuts tbe yellow (sligbtly decayed) leaves, 

 and is less expert than Mefjachile, as it cuts them all in 

 jaggs ; occurs in June, July, and August, and is very 

 partial to the flowers of Thistles. 



0, bicolor, Schrank. — Black, head and thorax closely 

 punctured, clothed in the c? with ocbreous yellow hairs 

 which soon fade to grey, in the ? with black ; third joint of 

 the antennee longer than the two following together, wings 

 slightly smoky, especially towards the apex in the ? , pro- 

 podeal area dull ; abdomen finely and closely punctured, 

 clothed with ocbreous yellow hairs in the cJ, with bright 

 red in the ? , seventh segment in the cJ sharply bidentate, 

 beneath closely punctured, clothed with pale hairs, second 

 segment with a raised central line, third angularly 

 emarginate, fourth with a hairy tubercle near the centre of 

 the apical margin, fifth truncate, sixth shining, with a tuft 

 of golden hairs on each side of its apex, armature with the 

 stipites unusually stout, somewhat elbowed near the 

 middle, their apices subtruncate and hairy, ? with the 

 ventral scopa red ; legs clothed with ocbreous yellow hairs 

 in the c?, in the ? with black hairs on the femora, brown 

 on the tibiae, and bright fulvous red on the tarsi, 

 posterior metatarsi in the ? and the apical joints of all 

 the tarsi in both sexes clear testaceous, calcaria pale. 



L. 10-12 mm. 



Local, but not uncommon where it occurs. It seems to 

 prefer limestone and chalky districts, appearing towards the 

 end of April or the beginning of May, making its nests in 

 banks or snail shells. Reigate; Bristol; Northfleet ; 

 Purfleet; {Smith). Riddlesdown, nearPurley; {Boihney). 

 Chippenham ; Oxford ; (7?. C. L. FerlAns). Wotton-under- 

 Edge; {V. E. Perldns). Maidstone; {Fiishy). Colchester; 

 {Harwood). Parley Heath; Cranborne ; {Dale). Near 



