Species of the (re/JMs Ammophila {Kirb^) . 65 



like mass. By " tomentiiin," very deMse shorter and more de- 

 cumbent hairs, matted closely together, with a silvery or more 

 rarely a golden glitter, frequently combined with pilosity and 

 lying under it. By " pubescence," a down of still shorter 

 fine and even hairs, never matted, giving a smooth silky or 

 velvety look to the surface which it covers. When the 

 pubescence is quite microscopical and noticeable only by its 

 faint shimmer in certain lights, the surface may be called 

 " pruinose " (frosted). A single row of longish even hairs 

 I call a " fimbria " (fringe). 



Group PSAMMOPHILA, Dhb. 

 1. PsammopMla niasinissa, sp. n. 



Xigra, abdomine atrocyaneo, alls violaceis ; tegulis mandibulis 

 pedumque armatura (praeter iinguiculos rufos) nigris, hirsutie 

 nigra. Vertex punctatus, microscopice rugulosus. Pronotum in 

 medio impressura, mesonotum antice sutura mediana longitu- 

 dinali instructum, ambo punctata et antice saltern subtiliter trans- 

 versiin rugulosa. Scutellum punctatiim, elevatum, subtiiissime 

 longitudinaliter striolatum, in medio plus minusve depressum. 

 Propodeum concinne undulatim (in medio fere transversira) 

 striatum. Petiolus brevis, apicem versus dilatatus, antennarum 

 articulis 2 + 3 vel tai-sorum posticorumarticulo secundo subaequalis, 

 metatarso postico multo brevier. 



Long. 16-17 miU. 



Biskra [Eaton). Three females (29 iii.-8 iv. '97). 



Mr. Eaton took also at Biskra (7 ii. '95) what at present 1 

 believe to be only an aberrant form of inasim'ssa ? , but with 

 several conspicuous peculiarities. It is very much larger than 

 the type specimens (long. 24 millim.), the thorax more 

 shining and its sculpture more pronounced [e. g. the scutellum 

 is clearly and even strongly bituberculate), the blue tint of 

 the abdomen a shade brighter, &c. The neuration also is 

 curious, the second transverse cubital nervure in both wings 

 being sharply and angularly bent inwards, and the third 

 strongly (but in a curve, not angularly) outwards. This 

 gives a most peculiar appearance to the cubital cells, but 

 one which I suspect to be a result of " neuration gone wrong " 

 (as so often happens in Ammophila) rather than a specific 

 character. 



At any rate, I am not prepared to found a separate species 

 on this isolated and probably abnormal specimen. 



Possibly it may turn out that masinissa = ati-o-ci/anea, 

 Eversm., but Andr^ describes the ( ? ) propodeum of that 

 species as not striated, which it most evidently is in all the 

 specimens before me. 



Anil. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 7. Vol. v. 5 



