310 BRITISH BEES. 



sylvarum, Kirby. 



16. Smithianus, White, $ ? ? . 4-10 lines. 



17. senilis, Fabricius, $ ? ? . 6-9 lines. 

 muscomm, Kirby. 



18. muscorum, Linnaeus, < ? . 4-9 lines. 

 Francillonana, Kirby. 



floralis, Kirby. 

 Sowerbiana, Kirby. 

 Beckwithella, Kirby. 

 Curtisella, Kirby. 

 Forsterella, Kirby. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



These, perhaps the most conspicuous of our native 

 bees, certainly the largest, and probably the most gene- 

 rally known after the domestic bee, have their scientific 

 generic name from fiopfios, an imitative word, made to 

 indicate the sound of the hum of the insects themselves. 

 They have many popular names such as bumble bees, 

 dumbledors, humble bees, and in Scotland they are called 

 foggie bees. They consist of three sexes, males, females, 

 and neuters, which differ considerably in size, the females 

 being very much the largest, and the neuters the smallest. 

 Of course, individually, like all other insects, there is 

 much variation among them in the intensity or diver- 

 sity of the colouring of their pubescence, from which it 

 is chiefly that they derive their specific distinctions ; in 

 the relative sizes of individuals also there are great differ- 

 ences. It is the males, as is usual among the bees, 

 which are the gayest in their attire, and take the widest 

 range of variation, and sometimes so much exceed the 

 typical specific character in their markings as to require 

 experience to identify them, and to place them correctly 



