294 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



conduces to any necessary purpose in carrying out the 

 details of any portion of the economy of the Bombi ; but it 

 is, 1 think, quite probable that, in those nests where they 

 locate themselves, they may take part in the domestic 

 arrangements of the nest, feeding the young brood, or taking 

 a part in the construction of cells for their reception : these 

 are mere conjectures, and we are aware that an ample field 

 is open to further investigation. I have only twice detected 

 the sexes of Apathi in coitti, — on one occasion A. rupestris 

 and on another A. vestalis. These bees appear to be most 

 abmidant in northern latitudes ; not one has been found in 

 India or China, and only one in Brazil. Four species are 

 known from North America and one from Mexico. 



The black varieties of the male and female of Apathus 

 campestris are regarded by some hyraenopterists as forming 

 a distinct species, but I cannot agree in this opinion. In a 

 fine series of the males every shade of approach to blackness 

 is found : the female in her black livery is very rarely met 

 with ; I have only taken it twice myself, and have only seen 

 two or three captured by other Entomologists. 



It has been recently stated that there are two broods of 

 Apathi in the year; my own opinion, bassed upon a close 

 investigation of the Bombi during a period of thirty years, is 

 that there is only one. In the spring we see the female 

 Apathi ol the previous year appear, but rather later than the 

 iemales of the Bombi ; but alter a short period they almost, 

 if not entirely, disappear : about the beginning of autumn 

 the male Apathi come forth in much greater abundance than 

 we ever see the females, which do not leave the nest until a 

 few weeks later than the males. 



1. Apathus rupestris, Smith, Bees Great Brit. p. 234, male, 



female. 

 Apis Albinella, Kirby, Mon. Ap. Angl. ii. 361, male. 

 A. rupestris, Fabr. JEnt. Si/st. ii. 320, female ; Kirby, 



Mon. Ap. Angl. ii. 369. 

 Bombus rupestris, Fabr. Syst. Piez. p. 348, female. 

 Psithyrus rupestris, St. Farg. Hyin. ii. 426 ; Drews. 8^ 



Schiodte, Bomb. Deiwi. 125 ; Curtis, Brit. Ent. x. 



fol. 468 ; Nyland. Ap. Boreal. 241 ; Sc/ienck, Hym. 



Nassau, p. 159. 

 There is a variety of the female with a yellow collar, rarely 



