786 BOSTON JOURNAL 



smooth and somewhat polished, containing a quantity of white 

 pollen, considerahly larger than the artificer itself. The entrance 

 consists of a cylinder extending downwards from the mouth of 

 the hole, more than an inch in length, and consisting of small 

 pellets of earth compacted together, very rough on the exterior 

 and smooth within. A species of Odi/urnis was numerous in 

 the same locality in which I •bscrved the above, and sometimes 

 entered the holes ; but the exterior cylinder does not agree with 

 that which is attributed to 0. muraria Latr. which Kirby and 

 Spence inform us is composed of " little masses so attached to 

 each other, as to leave numerous vacuities between them, which 

 give it the appearance of filagree-work." Many of the tubes of 

 the taurea, have a fissure above, throughout the whole length ; 

 resembling in this respect the shell Sifiquaria. It does not 

 agree with Fabricius' description of Melccla rcmigata. [412] 



XYLOGOPA Latr. 



X. CAROLINA Fabr. — This species was referred by Fabricius 

 to the genus Cciitrix, and is even now generally considered as be- 

 longing to that genus. But doubting the accuracy of that 

 arrangement, I found on examination, that the labial palpi are 

 rectilinear, the terminal joints being in a right line with the 

 others, and the maxillary palpi are six-jointed. The] mandibles 

 have only one large tooth, which Ls on the inner side. The cir- 

 cumstance of Fabricius referring to Drury's fig. 1, pi. 43, of vol. i, 

 for Bomhits virgincus Linn., leads me to suppose that he had 

 this species also in view in that description. But as that descrip. 

 tion in the Syst. Piez. p. o4G, agrees very well with one of our 

 largest and finest species of Bombus, rather than introduce a 

 new name, I would transfer the quotation of Drury's figure to 

 the description of X. Carolina, (^Gentris), F. I add the follow- 

 ing description of it, which I formerly drew out, with the name 

 of valida, under the belief that the Carolina, is really a Cent^is, 

 and therefore altogether difierent. 



Blackish ; a prominent, compressed, obtuse tubercle between 

 the antennae; thorax hairy. 



Inhabits United States. 



9 Body black, tinged with purplish : head with close set, 



[Vol. 1. 



