98 Dr. 11. C. L, PoikiMs on Aculeate 



is not a homogeneous group of species, but itself contains 

 a number of genera. Until entomologists will take the 

 trouble to examine the raalc termiual segments and genitalia 

 of Prostqns it is unlikely that auy very satisfactory classiH- 

 catiou will be forthcoming. It is, of course, unfortunate 

 that no equally good charactei's have yet been discovered in 

 the females, but, doubtless, -when the males are satisfactorily 

 classified it will be possible to find characters in the more 

 difficult females. Having at various times during the past 

 six years done some little work on these Australian bees, I 

 recently took the opportunity of examining the large collec- 

 tion in the British Museum, where are most of the very 

 numerous species described by Prof. Cockerell and the late 

 F. Smith. The time at my disposal was quite insufficient 

 for a satisfactory study of more than a fraction of the total 

 number of species, but these I examined fairly thoroughly. 

 Many species I did not examine at all. 



Males of Pakeorhiza are easily distinguished from Mem- 

 ylossa by the simple scape of the antennae, which in the 

 latter is always greatly swollen in a manner quite peculiar to 

 the genus; Meroglossa also has the face extraordinarily 

 channelled. Pakeorhiza has a very simple form of genital 

 armature, that of Merofjlossa is very specialized. 



In the female of Meroglossa the second segment of the 

 abdomen has a very Avide basal area, with the sculpture very 

 different from that of the apical portion of the segment ; the 

 posterior boundary of this basal area is always strongly 

 curved, so that it is longest in the middle line, and it is 

 always more or less exposed. In Palceorhiza there is at 

 most only a narrow basal transverse area, and it is entirely 

 concealed, unless the second segment be unnaturally dis- 

 tended. Some species of Prosopis have in the female a basal 

 area somewhat like that of Meroglossa, but these are other- 

 wise quite different in facies. 



The following species belong to Meroglossa : — M penetrala, 

 M, canuliculata, M. eucalypti, M. sculptissima, M. sulcifrons, 

 M. impress} frons, M. desponsa, M. torrida, and M. rubricata. 

 Of some of these I have only seen females, and no doubt 

 there a^'C other "^ species amongst those I have not examined. 

 M. sulcifrons and others have no doubt been wrongly i)laced 

 owing to their resemblance in colour-pattern to certain 

 Australian Prosopis, this pattern being entirely different 

 fi'om that of species heretofore described as Meroglossa. 



* Thus Prosopis diversipimcta, Cocliorell, at.d presumably P. nigrifrons, 

 Sin., sluJiUd beloug to Meroylossa. 



