BOMBTJS GEANDIS. 257 



nervures black. Length about an inch and a quarter : 

 expansion of the wings two inches and a quartei. 

 It is a native of Valparaiso. 



APATHUS VESTALIS. 

 PLATE XVIII. Fig. 2. 



A.pis vestalis, Kirby's Monog. Ap. ii. 347, PL 18, fig. 4, fig. 5, 



Donov. xiii. 65, PI. 464 Bom bus vestalis, Stephen"^ 



Catal. Psithyrus vestalis, St. Fargeau, Curtis. 



THE peculiarities on which this genus is founded, 

 were pointed out, to a certain extent, by Kirby, but 

 tie did not avail himself of them to separate the 

 group from the true humble-bees. In fact, there is 

 such a striking general resemblance between the 

 Apathi and Bombi, that such a separation appears at 

 first sight to be doing violence tc natural affinity. 

 But the principal mark of distinction., +he want of a 

 brush (corbicula) for collecting masses of pollen, is a 

 most important one, and might have been expected 

 to influence materially the whole mode of life. 

 There seems now to be no doubt, that the Apathi 

 never attempt to build a nest of any kind, or to 

 make any provision for their young, but deposit their 

 eggs in the nests of other bees, into which they find 

 access apparently without being suspected of any im- 

 proper design. The larvae produced by these surrep- 

 titious eggs being stronger than the rightful owners, 

 consume the food provided for them. They undergo 

 their various changes in the same appropriated home. 

 This practice is known to prevail among many ether 

 kinds of bees, not, however very closely resembling 



it 



