HENRY J. FRANKLIN. 177 



THE BOMBID^ OF THE NEW WORLD. 



BY HENRY J. FRANKLIN, 

 Of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, Amherst, Mass. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In June, 1908, a synopsis of the American species of Bom- 

 bus and Psithyrus north of the northern boundary of Mexico 

 was presented by the writer as part of a thesis for the degree 

 of Doctor of Philosophy. Since that time the work on these 

 two genera has been extended to take in all the New World 

 species at present known. The work as a whole has, for the 

 most part, been done under the supervision of Doctors Charles 

 H. and Henry T. Fernald, and the writer here wishes to ac- 

 knowledge his obligations and express his gratitude to these 

 able teachers and investigators for their aid, guidance and 

 encouragement. 



This monograph is based upon the examination and care- 

 ful study of about fifteen thousand North American and one 

 thousand South American specimens, comprising the entire 

 bumble-bee collections of the Massachusetts Agricultural Col- 

 lege, New Hampshire College, Montana Agricultural College, 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology, Leland Stanford Jr. Uni- 

 versity, Agricultural College of the University of Minnesota, 

 United States National Museum, American Museum of Nat- 

 ural History, Boston Society of Natural History, also the 

 entire Pennsylvania State collection and the greater part of 

 the collections of the American Entomological Society, the 

 North Carolina Agricultural College and the Colorado Agri- 

 cultural College, besides several private collections. 



The writer is deeply indebted to many persons for assist- 

 ance rendered in various ways. Some have loaned litera- 

 ture and provided scattering references. Others, through the 

 kindness of the Doctors Fernald in assuming responsibility 

 for loaned specimens, have loaned material for study. For 

 such favors the writer wishes to thank very heartily the fol- 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XXXVIII. (23) 



