314 AMERICAN HYMENOPTERA. 



the basal middle of their second dorsal abdominal segments. 

 The males can also be easily distinguished by the latter 

 character. 



This species is quite generally known as B. virginicus 

 (Olivier), but this name cannot be correctly used for it as 

 I will here endeavor to show. In 1770, Drury described and 

 figured (Illust. Ins., I, p. 96, PI. 43, fig. 1) a species, without 

 name, which, as the figure and description plainly show, was 

 our common Xylocopa. Linnaeus, in his " Mantissa Plan- 

 tarum," published during the following year, gave the name 

 Apis virginica to Drury's species. The following descrip- 

 tions of Apis virginica down to Olivier's, as Cresson has 

 shown (Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., II, 1863, p. 89) are mere 

 copies and quotations of these descriptions, the authors not 

 having seen the insect. Hence, all these descriptions must 

 be referred to the synonomy of Xylocopa virginica. Olivier's 

 description of Apis virginica, however, appears to refer dis- 

 tinctly to this species of Bombus. Therefore, we see that 

 two distinct species of insects have borne the name Apis 

 virginica. If we apply the rule " once a homonym, always 

 a homonym," it will be seen at once that the name virgini- 

 cus, as used for this species, must be respected as a homonym 

 and the next available name under which the species has been 

 described be used in its stead. For this reason, I have used 

 the name impatiens as the one which I consider proper for 

 this species. 



Boinbiis (Bombus) ternarius Say. 

 ? Bombus ternarius Harris, Catal. Insects Mass., 1835, p. 70 (nom. 

 nud.). 

 " Say, Boston Journ. Nat. Hist., I, 4, 1837, p. 414, 



n. 3, cf . 

 ornatus Smith, Catal. Hymen. Brit. Mus., II, 1854, p. 398, 



n. 52, 9 a c? (pars.). 

 ternarius Leconte, Edition of Writings of Th. Say Ent., II, 

 1859, p. 788, n. 3. 

 Greene, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., VII, 1860, 



p. 172, n. 8, c?. 

 Cresson, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., II, 1863, p. 104, 

 n. 34, 9 9 c? (pars.). 

 ornatus Cresson, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., II, 1863, p. 104, 

 n. 33, 9 a cf (pars.). 



