16 Proceedings 
on Hawkweed in June. Momada has also been recorded 
as being attached to Halictus. This is now generally re- 
garded as doubtful, though I have taken the little V. furva 
apparently associated with H. morio. The species of 
LVomada all emit a fragrant odour, especially when fresh- 
caught. 
Another prettily-marked Cuckoo Bee is Zpeo/us, of which 
we have two closely allied species. It is found with Cod/etes, 
and is often quite common where large colonies of C. 
Daviesana occur, It is curious that, though many of the 
larger bees have very weak stings, both Hpeo/us and Colletes 
can sting very severely, and one has to be somewhat care- 
ful in taking them from the net when captured. 
Two handsome Cuckoo Bees, black, with patches and 
spots of white pubescence, are Me/ecta armata, and MM. 
luctuosa, both attached to our Mason Bee, Anthophora 
pilipes, though MZ. ductuosa also occurs with A. retusa. 
Another striking looking genus of Cuckoo Bees is 
Celioxys, coloured somewhat like Me/ecta but with the 
abdomen tapering off rapidly to a point. We have six 
British species. They are mostly attached to the Leaf- 
cutter Bees, Megachile, though also occuring with Savopoda 
and Osmia. 
The genus Osm/a is universally admitted to contain some 
of the most interesting of our British Bees. O.7ufa, one of 
our early spring bees, will either make its own burrows, or 
as is more often the case, avail itself of any hole suited to 
its requirements. Key-holes it is particularly fond of, 
though a hole in a wall ora post will suit it as well. Smith 
records an instance where one took possession of a fife, in 
which it had constructed fourteen cells,and had commenced 
a fifteenth. O. deucomelana sometimes burrows in the 
ground, particularly if the soil is sandy, but it more often 
excavates the pith from old bramble-stems. ‘The very rare 
Cuckoo Bee, S¢e/is octomaculata, is associated with this 
Osmia. Another of the genus, O. fu/viventris, is, I think, 
always found burrowing into old or decaying wood, and 
with it occurs S. phoeoptera. O. xanthomelana I have 
never met with. It is said to construct its cells of mud, 
ee oe 
ee 
