138 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM, 



4. M. hackeri, Ckll. — Males, females, Kelvin Grove, September, Novem- 

 ber, January, March: Sunnyb'ank, September; J Jribie Island, November. Two 

 males and three females of this species were bred from an old clay nest of Abispa, 

 which was obtained at Darra on 17th June. The bees emerged on 23rd December. 

 This species also belongs to the " resin-workers," the cavities in the clay nest 

 being lined and the entrance holes filled with resin in a similar manner to 

 M. derelicta, but in these nests the resin is of a deep red colour and must be 

 obtained from a different source. 



5. M. rhodogastra, Ckll. — Males, females, Brisbane, Acclimatisation 

 Gardens. November, February; also a variety of male from same locality, Decem- 

 ber. This species was bred from a nest found inside an iron pipe. The nest was 

 of the usual elongate shape, made of pieces of leaves, from which five males and 

 four females emerged. I should like to mention that in fresh specimens of males 

 the colour is deeper than as stated in Professor Cockerell's description, the hair 

 on the sides and apex of the abdomen being orange, while the hair on the face 

 is pale golden. 



6. M. chrysopyga, Sm. — Males, females, Brisbane, September, October, 

 March, April. On flowers of Daviesia ulicina. A nest of this species was found 

 at Kelvin Grove under some loose bark on a log. The cells were made of pieces 

 of leaves, and the nest was of the usual cigar shape. Seven bees emerged in 

 October. 



A curious fact which is brought to light by the preceding notes is that all 

 the four species which have been found to construct resinous nests have parallel- 

 sided abdomens, while the two leaf-cutting species which were bred have shovel- 

 shaped ones. This may be only a coincidence, but should the analogy between 

 the form and habits of these bees remain constant, which can only be ascertained 

 by breeding a larger number of species, it might be possible to divide this very 

 large genus into two divisions according to the material which they utilise for 

 nesting purposes. 



7. M. pictiventris, Sm. — Brisbane, February; on flowers of Duranta. 

 This species has a curious habit, when disturbed, of dropping from the flower 

 perpendicularly for eighteen inches or two feet before taking wing. It was 

 owing to the loss of several specimens through making a horizontal instead of an 

 upward sweep with the net, that. I became aware of this peculiarity. A number 

 of wasps belonging to the family Thynnida? have a similar habit of dropping 

 before taking Aving. 



8. M. austeni, Ckll. — Stradbroke Island, December; both sexes on flowers 

 of Ipomcea. The female, which differs in appearance from the male, has not 

 previously been described. Female: Length about 15 mm.; expanse of wings 

 about 22 mm. Face clothed with white hairs mixed with black, giving it a 

 greyish appearance ; cheeks, prothorax, and sides of median segment grey; vertex, 



