61 



CHAPTER III. 



SKETCH OF THE GEOGEAPHY OF THE GENERA OF 

 BRITISH BEES. 



IN giving a broad sketch of the geography of the 

 genera of bees which are native to our islands, but 

 whose local distribution I shall reserve for notice in the 

 account of the genera themselves, I must regret at the 

 outset the lack of materials for its satisfactory treat- 

 ment. 



There are but very few exceptions to the dearth of 

 assiduity in this direction ; a very favourable one is that 

 of the son of the late venerable hymenopterologist, the 

 Count le Pelletier de St. Fargeau, who, at his military post 

 as an officer of the French army in Algeria, stationed at 

 Oran, collected energetically for his father in that district, 

 and where, in one of his collecting excursions, he was 

 severely wounded by a musket-ball. Another equally 

 favourable exception is that of Sydney Smith Saunders, 

 Esq., residing at Prevesa, in Albania, who has stre- 

 nuously and perseveringly collected in that country. 

 Here and there we can point to something having been 

 done in U pper India, in the vicinity of Poonah, at Pon- 

 dicherry, in Java, in some limited localities of China, and 

 to some extent in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand, 



