1. COLLETES. 5 



and on the legs it is much paler. Abdomen slightly shining, finely 

 punctured, more strongly so on the basal segment, which, at its 

 base, has some pale fulvous pubescence ; the apical margins of the 

 segments with fasciae of pale fulvous pubescence. B.M. 



Male. Length 3 lines. — Black ; the face densely clothed with pale 

 ocbraeeous pubescence, that on the clypeus and cheeks is nearly 

 white. Thorax as in the female ; the abdomen strongly punctured ; 

 the apical margins of the segments with pale pubescent fasciae ; the 

 basal segment most strongly punctured: the ventral segments 

 fringed with white pubescence. B.M. 



This is the smallest species of the genus found in this country. I 

 found it in plenty at Littlehampton at the beginning of July 1875 ; 

 it frequented the yarrow (Achillea millefolium) : it has also been 

 found in Yorkshire and Cumberland. It was first discovered by Mr. 

 Samuel Stevens in the same locality at which I took it in 1875 ; it 

 is, however, very local. I. found Epeolus variegatus in company with 

 it, but do not know if it is parasitic on it. Megachile argentata was 

 common at the time, and it is certainly parasitic on that insect. 



4. Colletes daviesana. 



C. nigra, pallido villosula ; abdomine hevi, nitidissimo, punctis 

 minutis sparsioribus. 



Colletes daviesana, Smith, Zool. iv. ]:>78; Bees Great Brit. 6. 

 Nylarid. Xotis. ur Stilish, pro Faun, et Flo. Fenn. 

 Thorns. Opusc. Ent. .315 ; Ili/m. Scand. ii. 164. 



Female. Length 4|-5 lines. — Black ; the clypeus covered with 

 cinereous pubescence, becoming gradually fulvous to the vertex ; 

 the thorax punctured, with the disk nearly impunctate, thinly 

 clothed with fulvo-ochraceous pubescence, on the sides it is paler, 

 that beneath and on the legs being white ; the wings hyaline, their 

 uervures fusco-testaceous. Abdomen smooth and shining, finely 

 punctured, most distantly so on the basal segment ; the apical 

 margins of the segments with a fascia of pale ochraceous pubescence, 

 usually sparing on the basal segment. B.M. 



Male. Length 3|-4 lines. — The pubescence on the head and thorax 

 similar to that of the female ; the flagellum of the antennae obscurely 

 piceous beneath. Abdomen oblong-ovate and shining, the margins 

 of the segments slightly constricted; rather more strongly punctured 

 than in the female ; the segments with similar fasciaa ; beneath, the 

 fasciae curve upwards from the lateral margins to the middle of each 

 segment, but do not meet in the centre. B.M. 



This is the most abundant species of the genus in the south of 

 England. Extensive colonies are not unfrequent. Mr. G. C. 

 Champion found one near Earnham in a hard sand-bank which con- 

 tained thousands of their burrows, in and about which he detected 

 numbers of Cryptophagv.s popidi. Many were obtained by striking 



