THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 241 



in the more material object, that of propagating the species, 

 they quitted the assemblage and retired to some distance ; 

 and I also noticed that the females, whilst depositing their 

 eggs, avoided that part where Phlaeas congregated most, 

 although the sorrel grew in greater abundance there than 

 elsewhere. Although I took several females which had been 

 laying eggs (to prevent their going into other fields), and 

 boxed them, they all died without producing any more. 



I am sanguine of success, had 1 the tin)e and opportunity 

 to search in this way for the eggs of Arion, Cassiope, &c. ; 

 and that the stigma attached to English entomologists, of 

 having to say " undescribed " of any larva of our Diurni, 

 might be removed. 



A. B. Fabn. 



35, Sutherland Street, Pimlico. 



A Revision of the Characters and Synonymes of British Bees. 



By Frederick Smith, Esq. 



(Continued from vol. iv. page 9). 



Genus Halictus, Latr. 



It is a task involving a considerable amount of study 

 as well as observation to obtain a tolerable knowledge of 

 the species of the genus Halictus ; I allude merely to the 

 species that inhabit this country; therefore, if 1 can so sub- 

 divide the species, and point out their differential characters, 

 as to aid the entomologist in his investigations, I shall have 

 done some service : with this aim I publish the present 

 paper. 



The geographical range of the Halicti is very wide ; we 

 find them plentiful in some parts of Africa; many fine 

 species are known from Natal and the Cape ; the Australian 

 species are numerous ; about fifty are described that inhabit 

 Europe ; and there can be little doubt that North America 

 will furnish thrice that number. The majority of the eastern 

 species are included in the genus Nomia, but these merge 

 gradually into Halictus proper ; in fact the characters that 

 separate the two genera are sexual, being principally the 

 swollen posterior femora of the males and the enlarged 

 tegulae. These characters are found in the type of the 



