194 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



I hope shortly to commence the publication of a complete 

 revision of the British bees, in a series of chapters, when I 

 will enlarge upon the economy of the different genera, and 

 correct the errors of my former work. One or two insects 

 observed during the past season, which 1 shall notice in this 

 paper, will give me an opportunity of making one or tvpo cor- 

 rections of remarks that appear in the recent work on the 

 ' British Bees.' 



The season which has just closed upon our observations 

 of the Aculeata has confessedly been one of the most un- 

 favourable that we have experienced for some years past : 

 nothing is more fatal to hymenoplerous pursuits out-of-doors 

 than wet weather, and, as the largest amount of it occurred 

 just at the time when the Apidae and Fossores are usually 

 most abundant, the results were most disastrous : many spe- 

 cies were not observed at all, and probably the Crabronidoe 

 never appeared in such diminished numbers ; Pompilidae 

 were extremely rare, even in situations in which they usually 

 appear in vast numbers. 



My own researches were entirely confined to the neigh- 

 bourhood of Deal, than which I know of no more favourable 

 locality for collecting the Aculeata : in order to accomplish 

 this with the most desirable results the hyraenopterist must 

 extend his area of operations as far as Folkstone to the east, 

 and to Sandwich on the west ; his rambles inland, or to the 

 south, need not exceed a distance of four miles : within this 

 space two-thirds of the aculeate Hymenoptera, in favourable 

 seasons, may be secured. 



The range to the west of Deal will include the famous 

 extent of sand-hills, a most prolific locality, in which 1 have 

 worked during the mouths of June, July, August, September 

 and October, and, consequently, am able to form a pretty 

 correct estimate of the number of species to be taken there : 

 thirty-three species of the family Andrenidae, and this not, of 

 course, inclusive of the early spring species of the genus An- 

 drena proper, and forty-three species of the Apidae, prove it 

 to be one of the most fruitful localities in this country. 



Early in June 1 paid my first visit to the sand-hills ; a few 

 species of Pompili were just appearing, as well as males of 

 some of the summer bees ; the universally distributed fossor 

 (Tachytes pompiliformis) literally swarmed on every bare 



