THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



No. 44.] AUGUST, MDCCCLXVIL [Price 6d. 



A Revision of (he Characters and Synonymes of British 

 Bees. By Frederick Smith, Esq. 



(Continued from page 298). 



Genus Prosopis, Latr. 



A long and diligent study of the habits of the extensive 

 family Andienidije, combined with the labours of other Ento- 

 mologists, has induced me to adopt the opinion that not a 

 single species belonging to it is a parasite : this opinion may 

 hereafter prove to have been an erroneous one, but, if so, the 

 exceptions must occur, I think, in the species of genera not 

 indigenous to this country, and I must be understood to 

 speak decisively on the habits of indigenous species only. 



The genera Prosopis and Sphecodes, being destitute of the 

 usual appendages adapted to convey pollen, were placed in 

 the division of parasites by St. Fargeau and some other hyme- 

 nopterists, but direct observation has proved the instability 

 of the theory founded upon these circumstances. 



The more closely we investigate the habits of insects the 

 more indelibly will it be impressed upon our minds that the 

 only reliable data is the observation of facts. 



Mr. Shuckard, in his recent work on the ' British Bees,' 

 observes that " the merit that attaches to the discovery of 

 such facts is due merely to patience and diligence, very com- 

 mon attributes." I take this opportunity of more particularly 

 exhorting my younger brother hymenopterists not to be 

 misled by such a fallacicnis opinion, but to persevere in their 

 investigations, recording the minutest phase that may present 

 itself, and to be fully assured that it is by tracing their varied 

 habits, carefully noticing their multiform operations, and by 

 the accumulation of every minute fact in- connexion with 

 their history, that we can ever hope to arrive at a perfect 

 knowledge of " these his creatures :" this should be our end 

 and aim, and this constitutes the true science of Entomology. 

 VOL. III. V 



