192 BRITISH BEES. 



maxillary palpi rather longer than the maxillae, with 

 six joints, the basal joint robust and slightly constricted 

 in the middle, the third joint linear and the longest, the 

 remainder gradually decreasing in length and substance. 



THORAX subquadrate; prothorax transverse, linear, 

 angulated at the sides ; mesothorax with its bosses pro- 

 tuberant ; scutellum and post-scutellum semilunulate ; 

 metathorax abruptly truncate, and longitudinally cari- 

 nated in the centre ; wings with two submarginal cells, 

 a third slightly indicated, the first recurrent nervure 

 springing from the extreme apex of the first submarginal 

 cell, closely to the first transverse-cubital nervure, and 

 the second closely before the termination of the second 

 submarginal cell ; stigma of the wing large and distinct ; 

 legs wholly destitute of polliniferous hair, the terminal 

 joint of the tarsus as long as the two preceding; claws 

 bifid; ABDOMEN subtruncate at the base, subconical 

 with a downward bias. 



The MALE differs in having the mandibles distinctly 

 bidentate, the external tooth acute ; the antenna are 

 very slightly longer and more curved, and their colouring 

 is more intense and more widely distributed. These 

 insects are glabrous, generally intensely black, dull on 

 the head and thorax, but shining on the abdomen, and 

 are more or less thickly punctured, and they are usually 

 gaily marked with yellow, citron, or red, especially on 

 the face, thorax, and legs. 



NATIVE SPECIES. 



1. annulatus, Fab., <J ? . 2J-3 lines. 

 annulatus, Kirby. 



2. dilatata, Kirby, $ . 3 lines. (Plate I. fig. 2 $ .) 

 Hylceus dilatatus, Curtis. 



