THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 257 



13. Halictus MALACHURUS, 



Melitta malachnra, Kirhy, Mon. Ap. Angl, ii. 67, female. 



Halictus malachurus, Smith, Entom. Ann. (1869), p. 77. 



Hylaeus nialachuriis, Schenck, Bees Nassau, p. 267. 



A local insect, and closely resembling the female of H. 

 cylindricus. In my work on the ' British Bees' I have given 

 it as synonymous with that species, but, having received both 

 sexes from Prof. Schenck, and also taken it at Cromer in 

 Norfolk, I am able to distinguish it readily from its ally. The 

 type-specimen in the Kirbyan collection is in bad condition, 

 and I was unable to detect any specific difference : Mr. 

 Kirby, in his private copy of his own work, had made a 

 memorandum to the eff'ect that he considered it a mei*e 

 variety : it was not until I obtained fresh examples that I 

 changed my opinion. It differs from H. abdominalis in 

 having the clypeus less produced, the tegulae black, the base 

 of the metathorax more finely sculptured, and in wanting the 

 sharp edge at the margin of the truncation above and also at 

 the sides ; the legs are darker, and the claws of the tarsi 

 black ; in cylindricus they are pale ferruginous : the margins 

 of the abdominal segments are not rufo-piceous as in the 

 other insect. 



The male received from Prof. Schenck resembles that of 

 " cylindricus," but the clypeus is less produced, the antennae 

 pale fulvous beneath, the metathorax without any enclosed 

 space or ridge, and the abdomen entirely black. 



I think it will prove to be a species often mixed with H. 

 abdominalis, and probably an insect found in the London 

 district. 



14. Halictus albipes. 



Hylaeus albipes, Fabr. Ent. Syst. ii. p. 294, male ; Schenck, 

 Bees Nassau, 267, male, female. 



Melitta albipes, male, Kirhy, and M. obovata, female, Mon. 

 Ap. Angl. ii. 71 and 75. 



Apis albipes, Paiiz. Faun. Germ. 7, 15, male. 



Prosopis albipes, Fahr. Syst. Piez. p. 294. 



Halictus albipes, St. Farg. Hym.. ii. 287, malej Smith, 

 Brit. Bees, p. 32, male, female. 



Halictus obovatus, Nyland. Revis. Apum Boreal, p. 244. 



An abundant insect in many localities ; plentiful in the 

 London district, at Walmer, and along the south-east coast, 



