28 Rev. F. D. Morice on male terminal segments and 



Though I am far from feeling competent to attempt a 

 complete monograph of palasarctic Colletes-spp., I hope I 

 may render some service to the future monographist by 

 publishing along with these figures some notes on the 

 insects examined, and a synoptic table of such further 

 distinguishing characters as I have been able to find in 

 their external structure. There does not, I believe, exist 

 as yet any work which deals with nearly as many species 

 as now lie before me. My materials have been partly 

 collected by myself in England, France, Germany, the 

 Alps, and nearly all countries round the Mediterranean, 

 including Algeria, Egypt, and Syria ; partly received from 

 various friends and correspondents, especially Professor 

 Perez, Dr. Schmiedeknecht, and Messrs. Friese, Kohl, 

 Alfken, Vachal, and Edward Saunders. To Professor Perez 

 above all — with whom I have been throughout in constant 

 communication, and who has supplied me most liberally 

 with material, including many of his own new siDecies — 

 any value that my work may have will be chiefly due. 



With regard to one of the great difficulties connected 

 with this genus, the obscure and entangled state of its 

 " synonymy," I must say at once that I can do almost 

 nothing to remove it. The original descriptions of their 

 species by early authors are nearly always quite insufficient 

 to fix their identity for certain, and I have had no oppor- 

 tunity for examining any " types " of them that may still 

 exist. In calling species, therefore, by the old and familiar 

 names of succinctus, L., ligatus, Er., etc., I express no 

 opinion of my own as to the correctness of these identifica- 

 tions, but merely accept what I take to be the view 

 generally current among hymenopterists. Even when I 

 have reason to doubt this view, though I shall say so, I 

 shall not always discard the name that is commonly 

 adopted. Such insects as are unknown to any of my 

 correspondents I shall treat as " new species," even if I 

 know some old vague description to which they might 

 possibly be referred. I think that, as matters stand at 

 present, less confusion will be created by employing a name 

 that may ultimately have to sink as a synonym, than to 

 fix an old name on to a species to which it does not really 

 belong. What I aim at is to ascertain, as far as I can, how 

 many real species lie before me, and how they may be 

 distinguished from one another. How they are ultimately 

 to be called in our lists is another question, which must be 



