NEW AND RARE HYMENOPTERA. 17 



The day before leaving one of the best localities for collecting 

 Aculeata a fine autuiiinal day occurred, just the day an 

 entomologist longs for. On that day I look twenty-two 

 specimens of Andrena Hattorjiana, the finest species of the 

 genus found in this country. This year 1 visited the same 

 locality, at the same date in August, where on a splendid day 

 not only did I fail to find A. Hatlorjiana, but I also failed 

 in finding a single specimen of any species of the genus 

 Andrena. My favourite bank, at Kingsdown, was, on that 

 occasion, the resort of hundreds of Colias Edusa. 



In recording what has come to my knowledge of notable 

 captures, I must mention a new species of ant, Ponera tarda, 

 discovered by Mr. R. S. Charsley, in a conservatory, at 

 Oxford; he has subsequently described the species. The 

 rare bee, Prosopis dilatata, was taken at Hay ling Island, by 

 Mr. Edward Saunders. Some very interesting varieties of 

 species of the genus Sphecodes have been met with at 

 Guestling, near Hastings, by the Rev. E. N. Bloomfield: a 

 totally black variety of S. gihhus (male), and three similar 

 varieties of S. ephippius (male). These are the first I have 

 seen of this small bee. Of S. gihhus 1 took four black males 

 on one occasion, at Lowestoft, some years ago ; but the black 

 varieties are of very rare occurrence. At the beginning of 

 July I found the very local Colletes marginata at Little- 

 hampton ; the somewhat local bee, Megachile maritima, was 

 plentiful at the same locality, as well as M. argentata. 



Of the genus Halicius Mr. Edward Saunders has taken 

 two or three apparently new species, belonging to the same 

 division as H. minutiis ; also the H. pauxilliis of Schenck. 

 Mr. Saunders has also taken a fine series of Andrena 

 nigriceps, at Soulhwold, in the month of August. Andrena 

 spinigera has been captured at Guestling, near Hastings, by 

 the Rev. E. N. Bloomfield; but the great discovery, made 

 by the same gentleman, of a genus and species new to 

 Britain, is the capture of the season: the bee is RopJiites 

 guinquespinostis, a species widely distributed on the Con- 

 tinent. I possess examples from the South of France, 

 Nassau, and the Island of Malta. Only a single female was 

 taken at Guestling, and was no doubt mistaken for a species 

 of the genus Halicius, to which it undoubtedly bears a 

 strong resemblance; but Ropliiles has an elongate tongue, 

 only two submarginal cells, and has not the anal rima which 

 distinguishes the females of Halicius; the male has the 



