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EEVIEW. 



Catalogue of British Hymenoptera in the British Museum. 

 Part I. — AndreniDjE and Apid.e. Second edition. By 

 Frederick Smith, Assistant Keeper of the Department of 

 Zoology. Lond.,1876. Published by order of the Trustees. 



It is twenty-one years since the first edition of this 

 standard work of reference was published. That edition was 

 written by the present author after twenty years of intimacy 

 with his subject, for so far back — as he himself told us — do 

 his continuous observations date. To that long period we 

 have now added in this second edition the result of another 

 twenty-one years of unremitted care and study. Such is the 

 experience which eminently qualifies the author to commend to 

 his readers a theme in itself so attractive as the British Bees. 



Following a rule of the British Museum, this book is 

 called a "Catalogue;" but such a title is rather apt to 

 mislead the uninitiated, who may pass it as simply a dry list 

 of names of the species contained in the National Collection. 

 This is not the case, for it is a most interesting and elaborate 

 monograph of two divisions of the Aculeate Hymenoptera. 



Apart from its scientific value, this work contains much 

 simple and readable Natural-History writing of such a pleasant 

 character that the student will find many a paragraph, the 

 interest of which will lighten his labours while identifying 

 species. For instance, of the Andrenidce, Mr. Smith says : — 



" The bees included ia the genus Andrena may be called the 

 harbingers of spring. One of the first to appear is A. Clarkella : this 

 species has been observed as early as March 4th, before the snow had 

 quite melted, and when unusually warm weather had set in ; A.gu-i/iiana 

 was found at the same time at Hampstead. The usual time when the 

 Andrenidce make their appearance is April, early or otherwise, accord- 

 ing to the suitableness of the weather." — P. 21. - =:= =:= " These bees 

 are subject to the attacks of parasites. The first to be remarked 

 upon are those bees which compose the genus Nomada : they are 

 more popularly known as wasp-bees, since they bear a considerable 

 resemblance to some of the small solitary species of that family. 

 These parasites appear to be upon a perfectly friendly footing with 

 the industrious bees, and are permitted, without let or hindrance, to 

 enter their burrows. It has been advanced as a proof of the 

 ingenuity and artifice necessary to be employed in effecting the 

 deposit of their eggs in the working bees' nests, that the parasites 

 should bear a close resemblance to the bees upon wliich they are 



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