HYMENOPTERA NEW TO CEYLON. 117 



Pompilus unifasciatus (Smith), No. 29, ? Col. Mus., from Tissa- 

 maharama, February, 1903. Col. Bingham is now of opinion 

 that P. hioculatus (Bing.) and P. unifasciatus are one and the same, 

 the former being a variety of the latter. The specimen in question, 

 No. 29, was examined by him, and has some of the characters of 

 both. P. hioculatus will therefore be a synonym. 



Pompilus acceptus (Bing.), No. 44, ? in Col. Mus. labelled " Ceylon." 



Pompilus ilus (Bing.). ? in Coll. 0. S. W. differs from Bingham's 

 description in having the apical halves of the wings purple efful- 

 gent, as well as fuscous. Taken at Kandy, August, 1902. 



Pompilus subsericeus (Sauss.), in Coll. 0. S. W. from Colombo, 

 April, 1903, a common species. I have often watched the females 

 burrowing, generally in dry sandy places, but before descending 

 any depth they would leave off and start again in another 

 place. 



Pompilus canifrons (Smith), No. 265, Col. Mus. ? from Namba- 

 pana, April, 1904. 



Spbegid^. 



Tachytes sinensis (Smith), No. 128, ? Col. Mus., locality unknown. 



Tachytes modesta (Smith) , No. 129, Col. Mus. Common in Colombo, 

 especially in May, June, and July. A very variable insect in 

 size. 



Larra fuscipennis (Cam.), No. 15, Col. Mus., from Deltota. Com- 

 mon in Colombo in March. 



Liris nigripennis (Cam.), No. 60, Col. Mus., locality unknown. 



Piagetia ruficornis (Cam.), No. 130 in Col. Mus., from Palatupana, 

 January, 1902. This species has been common in Colombo in 

 March for three successive years, but I have not observed it here 

 during any other month. I have taken specimens at Ganawatta, 

 north of Kurunegala, in April, 1904. Nothing is on record of 

 its nesting habits. I have often watched it for a long time running 

 about the walls of mud huts as though in search of prey. The 

 only other species recorded from British India, P. fasciatipennis, 

 has been recorded from Ceylon. 



*Ammophila basahs (Smith), No. 73 ^, No. 72 ?, m Col. Mus. The 

 former taken at Colombo in November, 1903, and the latter at 

 Henegama (below Balangoda) in April, 1902. I have in my 

 collection four males, two taken in Colombo in November, 1903, 

 and two at Henegama in April, 1902, and two females from 

 Henegama in April, 1902. It is interesting to note that the 

 male of this species was previously unknown. It nearly answers 

 the description of A. atripes, but is much smaller and slighter in 

 build — length 15 to 18 mm., exp. 16 to 20 mm. — and is easily 

 distinguished from A. atripes by the much lighter colour of the 

 wings, which are very pale fusco-hyaline against the dark fuscous 

 and purple effulgent wings of A. atripes 6. 



