NEW SPECIES OF VESPA FROM JAPAN. 279 



transverse band, the second segment to shortly beyond the middle, the 

 baud with an irregular border on the apex, a broad baud on the third, 

 and a narrower one on the fourth, black. Legs coloured like the body, 

 the anterior femora at the base below, and the four hinder coxhb, tro- 

 chanters, and femora, black. Anteunfe broadly black above, the scape 

 yellow, the llagellum brownish below. Wings yellowish hyaline ; the 

 costal nervure black, the others fulvous. 3' • Length, 24 mm. 



Hah. Michzusawa. 



The entire insect thickly covered with long fulvous pubescence. 

 Clypeus distinctly punctured, its length as long as the width at the 

 apex, which is transverse ; in the centre are three rufous marks in a 

 triangle. The mark on the top is widened laterally and upwards, the 

 centre slightly dilated. The black mark on the vertex is transverse 

 behind, rounded in front. Mandibles with a distinct greenish tinge. 

 Pronotum fulvous, as are also the tegulte. The black lines on the 

 abdomen are slightly dilated in the middle at the apex. Ventral 

 surface for the most part blackish, the sides with paler marks ; the 

 penultimate segment is roundly incised in the middle, the incision 

 slightly broader than long and extending to shortly behind the middle ; 

 the last segment is incised from side to side, the incision reaching to 

 the middle ; the last dorsal segment is slightly incised at the apex. 

 Malar space moderately large. 



Allied to V. micado and auraria. Characteristic is the form 

 of the frontal plate, which does not become gradually narrowed 

 towards the apex, but is broad and transverse there. The 

 apex of the clypeus, too, is transverse, not incised as in the 

 two species just mentioned. The male of auraria is not described 

 by Bingham, but Saussure (' Vespides,' ii. 147) describes it 

 " comme la femelle," so it should, apart from its smaller size, 

 be easily separated from my species. 



Vespa biicado, sp. nov. 

 Rufo-fulvous, the ocellar region — the black in front reaching to the 

 frontal plate, and only slightly developed behind the ocelli — the meso- 

 notum, except for two lines extending from the base to shortly beyond 

 the middle, the furrow on the scutellum, its apex, the base aud centre 

 of the post-scutellum, the base and centre of metanotum, the basal 

 slope of the first abdominal segment, an interrupted transverse line 

 near its base, and a broader one, dilated in the centre behind, near its 

 apex, black. Front thickly covered with long black hair, the hinder 

 part of the vertex and the thorax thickly covered with long fuscous 

 hair. Wings fuscous-violaceous, the costa black, the nervures lighter 

 coloured. ? . Length, 27 mm. 



Hab. Nagasaki. 



Clypeus closely punctured, more strongly below than above, its 

 apex with a slight broad incision, its sides broadly rounded. Frontal 

 plate nearly as long as its width at the base ; it becomes gradually 

 roundly narrowed to the apex ; the black mark is incised in the middle 

 at its base. The clypeus and mandibles have a yellowish hue, the 

 mandibular teeth and apex black. Antennae coloured like the body, 



