52 Mr. W. E. Shuckard o7i the Habits 



with the terminal, and the posterior with the basal joints 

 longest. 



This genus partakes of the characters of two groups : by its de- 

 pressed form, lunate vertex, and slightly spiny intermediate tibise it 

 approaches that to which Professor Germar has restricted the name 

 of lassus, {Phrynoniorphus, Curt.,) &c. ; hut the position of the an- 

 tennae, ocelli, &c. evidently allies it to Bythoscopus, Germ., from 

 which its depressed form will at once distinguish it. There is but 

 one Bi-itish species, which appears to be undescribed. 



Sp. 1. B.irroratns. Flavo-viridis; alis superioribus fusco-punctatis. 



Long. corp. 2i lin., lat. corp. 1^ lin. 



Yellowish green ; superior wings finely sprinkled with minute 

 fuscous punctures. 



Three specimens were taken by Mr. Waterhouse near London, 

 to whom I am indebted for the specimen I possess. A specimen 

 will be found in the Museum of this Society, presented by that 

 gentleman. 



XII. A few Observations upon the Habits of the Indige- 

 nous Aculeate Hymenoj)tera, suggested by M. de St. Far- 

 gaiis Paper upon the Genus Gorytes in the first Number 

 of the ' Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France.' 

 By W. E. Shuckard, Esq., 3I.E.S. 



[Read March 3, 1834. J 



It is rather a remarkable circumstance, that entomologists in general, 

 in this country, have hitherto paid but little attention to the Aculeate 

 Hymenoptera ; a tribe so peculiarly interesting from its ceconomy 

 and habits, that we might reasonably have expected that some 

 portion of the attention which has been lavished upon several other 

 orders should have turned upon this. We might easily account for 

 this neglect, were there much difficulty in observing or collecting 

 these insects ; but when we remember that every sunny bank and 

 sandy spot will furnish them, I am induced to attribute this general 

 indiff"erence, partially, to the deficiency of an easily accessible and 

 collective work upon the subject. But it is far from being thus 

 satisfactorily answered, for we possess a work upon a portion of this 

 tribe, — the Bees of Great Britain, — which, I conceive, has never been 



