H. W. LEWIS. 177 



spot on the front an:l a lianil beliind tlie eyes sometimes interrupted, and some- 

 times joining above with the yellow in the sinus of the eyes yellow; antenna; 

 all black. Thorax black, with the posterior border of the prothorax, tegulte, a 

 triangular spot under tlie wings, two linear spots on the scutellum and two on 

 the postseutellum yellow. Abdomen black, the first segment with a terminal 

 yellow border notched in the middle. In some specimens there is a yellow line 

 interrupted medially on the anterior border of the first abdominal segment; this 

 line is often enlarged laterally and joined more or less with the terminal yellow 

 border, having a lozenge-sliaped spot on the middle of the segment; the remain- 

 ing segments are broadly bordered terminally with yellow, notched more or less 

 in the middle and with a black spot on each side. Legs yellow, with the coxse, 

 except a spot on the front, the trochanters and base of femora black. Wings 

 hyaline, with the nervures ferruginous. Length 14 mm. 



%. — Antennae black, with the scape yellow^ in front; clypeus yellow with a 

 black spot, or entirely yellow; the yellow borders of the abdominal segments are 

 narrow, slightly tridentate or almost regular ; metathorax black. Length I'.i mm. 



Worker. — Much smaller than the female, and with the terminal yellow borders 

 of the abdominal segments, after the first, much narrower than in the female 

 and tridentate. Length 10 mm. 



Var. A. — Some specimens have two spots on the hinder part of the prothorax. 



Hab. — Europe; Connecticut; Amherst, Mass. 



It is very difficult to separate this species from V. (/ennanica 

 Sauss. as both are very variable and run into each other to such an 

 extent as to be quite perplexing. 



V. gerinanica Fab. f. — Eyes extending nearly to the base of the mandi- 

 bles. Head black, with the mandibles, except the teeth, the clypeus, except the 

 lower margin, and a variable mark in the center, a subquadrate mark on the 

 front generally connected with the yellow in the sinus of the eyes and a band 

 behind the eyes yellow; antennae all black. Thorax black, with the posterior 

 border of the prothorax, borders of the tegulse, a triangular spot under the wings 

 and two spots on each scutellum yellow. Abdomen marked as in V. viilfiaris. 

 Legs yellow, with the coxae, except a yellow spot in front, the trochanters and 

 base of femora black. Wings ferruginous, with the nervures brown ; of the same 

 size as V. vulgaris. 



"J, . — Similar to the worker. 



Worker. — Similar to the female, except that the apical yellow borders are much 

 narrower and tridentate. 



Hab. — Europe ; North America ; Ottawa (Couper). 



"V. occideillalis Cress, f ---Eyes extendijig nearly to the base of the man- 

 dibles. Head black, with the mandibles, except the teeth, the clypeus, except a 

 variable spot in the center, a frontal s])ot, sinus of the eyes, a broad stripe l>ehind 

 the eyes connected above the sinus yellow ; antennae black, with the scape yellov? 

 in front. Thorax black, with a narrow yellow line on the posterior border of the 

 prothorax widening toward the wings, the tegulae, except a brown spot in the 

 center, a triangular spot under the wings, two spots on the scutellum and two on 

 the postscutelluni. and sometimes on the metathorax. and generally two small 

 spots on the niesothorax posteriorly yellow. Abdomen black, the first segment 



TRANS. AM. KNT. SOC. XXIV. (23) JUNE, 1897. 



