﻿46 
  Mr. 
  F. 
  Smith's 
  Descriptions 
  of 
  

  

  Vespa 
  auraria. 
  (Tab. 
  VIII. 
  fig. 
  8.) 
  

   Female. 
  — 
  Orange-yellow 
  ; 
  the 
  head 
  has 
  some 
  black 
  pubescence 
  

   on 
  the 
  vertex, 
  and 
  the 
  mandibles 
  have 
  their 
  teeth 
  black; 
  the 
  

   thorax 
  beneath 
  is 
  black 
  ; 
  the 
  mesothorax 
  fuscous, 
  and 
  having 
  a 
  

   broad 
  central 
  stripe 
  reddish 
  yellow, 
  the 
  scutellum, 
  and 
  a 
  lateral 
  

   spot 
  beneath, 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  colour; 
  the 
  tegulse 
  have 
  a 
  fuscous 
  

   spot 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  ; 
  wings 
  hyaline, 
  their 
  anterior 
  margins 
  some- 
  

   what 
  ferruginous 
  towards 
  their 
  base 
  ; 
  the 
  anterior 
  femora 
  in 
  front 
  

   towards 
  their 
  base, 
  the 
  coxae 
  behind, 
  and 
  the 
  intermediate 
  and 
  

   posterior 
  coxae 
  and 
  femora, 
  black; 
  the 
  intermediate 
  tibiae, 
  except 
  

   their 
  apex 
  outwardly, 
  the 
  posterior 
  pair 
  in 
  front 
  and 
  a 
  spot 
  

   towards 
  their 
  apex 
  within, 
  black; 
  the 
  entire 
  legs 
  being 
  covered 
  

   with 
  a 
  reflecting 
  golden 
  pile. 
  The 
  basal 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  segment 
  

   of 
  the 
  abdomen, 
  and 
  rather 
  more 
  than 
  the 
  basal 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  

   second, 
  are 
  rufo-fuscous 
  ; 
  the 
  basal 
  segment 
  has 
  its 
  apical 
  margin 
  

   narrowly 
  pale-yellow 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  fuscous 
  band 
  on 
  the 
  second 
  seg- 
  

   ment 
  is 
  slightly 
  produced 
  laterally 
  ; 
  beneath, 
  the 
  segments 
  are 
  

   laterally 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  bright 
  pale-yellow 
  ; 
  the 
  entire 
  abdomen 
  has 
  

   a 
  brilliant 
  golden 
  reflection. 
  

   Hab. 
  Northern 
  India. 
  

  

  This 
  beautiful 
  species 
  is 
  in 
  several 
  collections 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  am 
  only 
  

   acquainted 
  with 
  the 
  six 
  described. 
  

  

  Vespa 
  basalts 
  . 
  

  

  Female. 
  — 
  Black; 
  the 
  head, 
  antennae 
  and 
  mandibles, 
  ferruginous, 
  

   the 
  latter 
  black 
  at 
  their 
  tips 
  ; 
  the 
  prothorax, 
  tegulae, 
  a 
  spot 
  beneath 
  

   the 
  wings, 
  a 
  square 
  spot 
  on 
  the 
  mesothorax 
  posteriorly, 
  the 
  scu- 
  

   tellum 
  and 
  post-scutellum, 
  and 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  metathorax, 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  ferruginous 
  ; 
  the 
  wings 
  have 
  a 
  fuscous 
  cloud 
  on 
  their 
  

   anterior 
  margins 
  occupying 
  the 
  externo-medial 
  cell 
  ; 
  the 
  mar- 
  

   gins 
  of 
  the 
  coxae 
  and 
  trochanters, 
  the 
  knees, 
  the 
  tibise 
  and 
  tarsi, 
  

   ferruginous 
  ; 
  the 
  legs 
  entirely 
  covered 
  with 
  shining 
  yellow 
  or 
  

   ochraceous 
  pubescence. 
  The 
  basal 
  segment 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen 
  has 
  

   a 
  transverse 
  ferruginous 
  macula 
  forked 
  at 
  each 
  end, 
  and 
  the 
  

   apical 
  margin 
  has 
  a 
  narrow 
  yellow 
  band 
  ; 
  the 
  rest 
  black. 
  The 
  

   entire 
  insect 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  short 
  thick 
  pubescence, 
  which 
  

   somewhat 
  obscures 
  the 
  colouring. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Nepaul. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  two 
  specimens 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  at 
  the 
  

   British 
  Museum. 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  seen 
  any 
  other. 
  

  

  