the A[)icla3 in the British Museum. 403 



in tlie mouth-parts of the two Prosopine g-eneia Palceorhiza 

 and Meroglossa. In these two genera the i'einales have tlie 

 ordinary bhuit form ot" other Pro-0|)idiiue, but in the male 

 the apex of the ligida is acute, thouoh the tongue is not ot" 

 any length. In Eupalieorhiza, however, the length of the 

 tongue equals or surpasses that of Paniirgiis and similar forms. 

 Unfortunately the female is unknown, so that no very definite 

 conclusions can at present be drawn from a study of this new 

 and exceedingly interesting S|)ecies. The following note from 

 Dr. R. C. L. Perkins, whose intimate knowledge of bee- 

 {)hylogeMy adds special weight, is worthy of the attention of 

 all apidologists : — "Should it \_i.e. the tongue of ? Evpakeo- 

 rhizci] prove to be acute, it would still further convince nie 

 of the truth of the view that 1 have held for some time, that 

 tlie Colletidai and Prosopid;e have been developed from the 

 Andrenld group (incUiding the Panurgine bees), and are iu 

 no ways to be considered as ancestral or primitive forn)s." 



EuPALiEORHizA, gen. nov. 

 (Type, Eiipalceorltiza papuaria, M.-Waldo.) 



General appearance that of a very large Palceorhiza, the 

 face bting extremely long and narrow between the eyes; the 

 genaj (space between the mandibles and eyes) very long, as 

 long or longer than their apical width. Neuration as in 

 many Palceorhiza. Ligula very long, lanceolate-aciiminale, 

 oidy hairy at the extreme base even under a very strong lens, 

 linear on more than the apical half of its length. In repose 

 the ligula is folded back on the mentum, its apex reaching 

 back to the front of tlie thorax, and the maxillary blades or 

 lacinioB are much too short to cover it. Maxillary j)alpi 

 G-jointed, the two basal joints more robust than the third, 

 but elongate, the three apical ones very slender and elon- 

 gate ; labial palpi with four slender elongate joints. Pru- 

 podeum with the anterior area very clearly defined liy a 

 total change of scul|jtuie outside it, as in many Patceorhiza, 

 but of very diti'erent form, not at all transverse, but formin<'- 

 a subequiiateral triangle, instead of being wide and transverse. 

 Abdomen with the seventh dorsal segment emarginate as in 

 Palceorhiza, but only five ventral scgm^Mifs are exposed 

 unless the iibdoinen be distended, the fouitii slightly emar- 

 ginate, the fiftii extraordinaiily short, concealed beneath tlnj 

 fornur, and highly modified, strongly emarginate so as U) 

 be lobed on each side ; its apical portion bent at an angle 

 with tiie general surface, fringed above with special black 

 hairs directed towards the middle, and beneath these witii 



2b* 



