330 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. V, 
The writer has one specimen before him which agrees very closely 
with the above description except for an obsolete yellow spot behind the 
eyes. Study has been made of other specimens that vary somewhat 
from the above. Two of these have no yellow marks on the fourth and 
fifth segments of the abdomen and the whole insect has a dark rufous 
to blackish appearance, showing a tendency to vary toward a loss of 
yellow and ferruginous on the abdomen especially and has a general 
darker appearance as a whole. Prokably these forms stand somewhere 
between the typical lecontei and Say’s tricincta. 
The writer has seen several other specimens which show a gradual 
increase in the yellow and ferruginous from the type to a specimen 
which has the yellow mark behind the eyes and the spots on the pro- 
thorax much larger while the spots on the second segment are very 
large, those on the third have become a broad band and there are two 
wide bands on the fourth and fifth. Possibly this variation of increas- 
ing yellow and ferruginous is in the direction of ridingsit. 
The specimens that the writer has seen are all females 
measuring from 12 to 15 mm. in length and were all collected 
in Texas except one which was taken in New Mexico. 
No one specimen has all the marks spoken of at their extreme 
development as indicated. The head of this species has the 
occiput quite black and this color encroaches downward upon 
the upper part of the frons. The rest of the face is ferruginous. 
It is probable that further collection will throw much 
needed light on the relation of ridingsti, lecontei, tricincta, and 
flavocostalis, which seem in many respects to be closely allied. 
Scolia monticola Cameron. 
Scolia monticola CAMERON, Biol. Centr. Amer., P. 112, 1873, Hymen. II. p. 
228, 1. 6, 2 C'. 
The type is probably in the British Museum. 
Cameron describes the species as follows: ‘‘Deep black, shining; 
the head and thorax densely covered with short, thick, black pubes- 
cence; the back of the abdomen densely covered with short, the ventral 
surface with long, black hairs. The head covered with large, distinctly 
separate punctures; the mesonotum and scutellum coarsely and strongly 
punctured, somewhat smaller than those on the mesonotum. Abdomen 
closely and finely punctured; the hair on the apical segments above 
long, black and thick. Legs deep black, the spines and hair also black. 
Wings deep violaceous-blue. The male is similarly colored and 
clothed, the antennz in this sex bearing a close microscopic greyish 
pile, which gives them a paleish appearance. Size of the female 18 to 20 
mm., of male 15 to 18 mm.” 
