OF NATURAL HISTORY. 77] 



pale cinereous ; posterior margins of the segments with white 

 hair, beneath [392] which the surface is dull piceous at tip ; 

 basal segment with a longitudinal impressed line at base : venter! 

 segments on the posterior margin with dull whitish hair. 



Length about half an inch. 



I With more dense and obvious hair on the front. 



Length less than half an inch. 



In warm days of March and April, this species may be ob- 

 served flying about n^ar the surface of the earth. 



SPHECODES Latr. 



S. CONFERTUS.— Black, abdomen rufous, black at tip ; punc- 

 tures dense. 



Inhabits Indiana. 



Body black, with close-set punctures : head rather small with 

 whitish hairs ; mandibles piceous black : thorax, middle thoracic 

 longitudinal line very distinct, punctures equally close-set : scu- 

 tel with the impressed line, continued from the thorax : wings 

 hyaline : abdomen polished : three basal joints rufous ; remain- 

 der black. 



Length three-tenths of an inch. 



Resembles the gihbus F., but is smaller ; with a proportionally 

 smaller head and much more dense puncturing on the thorax 

 and scutel. 



HYLiEUS Latr. 



H. MODESTUS. — 9 Black, opake : abdomen polished: hypos- 

 toma on each side with a triangular whitish spot : collar with an 

 abbreviated, transverse, yellowish line each side : pleura with a 

 yellowish spot under the humerus : wings hyaline, with blackish 

 uervures : feet with whitish knees. [393] 



Length over one-fifth of an inch. 



S Head beneath the insertion of the antennae, pale yellow : 

 antennas beneath dull ochreous : basal joint beneath, pale yel- 

 low : collar immaculate : tibise and tarsi pale yellowisli, the 

 former with a black spot near its tip. 



Length about one-fifth of an inch. 

 " The spots on the head of the female, arc like those of //. vari- 

 egatus F., but it is a very difierent species. 

 1837.] 



