248 Mr. F. Smith's Monograph of the 



be found to be the case in the majority of the other 

 species. 



A very distinct section might be formed of those species, 

 in which the eyes of the males are greatly enlarged, 

 occupying the greater part of the head, and meeting or 

 closely approximating at the vertex ; but the present state 

 of our knowledge of the genus scarcely warrants its for- 

 mation, the males of numerous species being still unknown. 

 The colouring of the wings I have found a very useful 

 character ; this however requires one or two considerations. 

 Specimens quite recently taken have ' a brilliancy which is 

 never retained in old cabinet specimens, or even in such as 

 had been long disclosed at the time of their capture. On 

 receiving a series of females of Xylocopa latlpes, captured 

 near Calcutta, by Mr. G. A. James Ilothney, their bril- 

 liancy at first induced me to think I had a new species 

 before me ; these circumstances should be always con- 

 sidered, and when this is done the colour of the wings will 

 be found a very useful auxiliary in the determination of 

 species.* 



I have had the advantage of examining several type- 

 specimens of the species described by St. Fargeau, but I 

 must confess to have experienced great difficulty, in many 

 instances, in my endeavours to master his work on this 

 genus. 



In eleven instances St. Fargeau omits to give the size 

 of the species, and in others the size of one or other of the 

 sexes is not given, and the localities are not always indi- 

 cated ; these circumstances combined, to say little of the 

 descriptions themselves, Avhich are very deficient in dis- 

 criminative character, have rendered my labour somewhat 

 perplexing. My own descriptions will probably be con- 

 sidered, in some instances, to be merely diagnostic. I have 

 endeavoured to give in all cases just sufficient to enable 

 the student to make out his species ; it is certainly a mere 

 useless incumbrance to describe over and over again cha- 

 racters common to every species of the genus. This paper 

 must be considered as an endeavour to supply material for 

 a much more complete monograph to be compiled by some 



J •^''™ f''^^ sculpture of the clypeus have been noticed as presenting 

 good specific characters, but the examination of a good series of a species. 

 which IS distinguished by having lateral tubercles on that part of the face 

 has proved that such characters are extremely variable, so much so as tJ 



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