A N 1) 11 E O S K Al A N D R O M E D A. 



109 



with honey, and in this they 'deposit their eggs. The 

 pollen they carry in the scopa or brush of their hinder 

 tibuc, upon the flocculus at the base of the hinder 

 thighs, and on the hairs of the metathorax. When 

 the female has committed her egg to the paste, she 

 very carefully stops the mouth of her hole to prevent 

 the ingress of ants, or of other insects which might be 

 enemies to the larvae. 



The genus CV//. (Leach) have the maxillae bent near 

 their middle, the terminal process very much longer 

 than broad ; lip elongated, longer than its palpi ; 

 superior wings with three submarginal cells, the 

 second small. This genus is not only distinguished 

 from Andrena by the characters of the lip and max- 

 illae, but also by having a longer tongue with very 

 minute auricles. 



In the third division we find the lip with the inter- 

 mediate division incurved, or nearly straight, not 

 twice the length of the head ; superior wings in all, 

 with three complete submarginal cells ; it consists of 

 four genera, the first of which, the genus Sphecodcs 

 (Latreille) has the labrum, trigonate, of the male 

 entire, of the female generally emarginate ; antennae 

 of the males long, almost moniliform ; abdomen with 

 the greater portion smooth. The species of sphecodes 

 make their nests in bare sections of banks exposed 

 to the sun, and nearly vertical. According to Reau- 

 mur, they excavate to the depth of nine or ten 

 inches, and deposit their eggs in a mass of pollen 

 mixed with honey." 



In the genus Lasioglossum (Curtis), the antennae of 

 the male is inserted near the centre of the face, longer 

 than the head and thorax, slightly fusiform, composed 

 of thirteen joints very similar to Ha/ictus ; labrum 

 transverse ovate, the sides straight, having the angles 

 rounded and slightly emarginate ; anterior* margin 

 convex and ciliated with long hairs, broadest at the 

 base ; mandible not so much dilated at the base as in 

 HftliclH.?; maxillae very slender; abdomen ovate and 

 convex, considerably broader than the thorax. Wings 

 ample ; the cells similar to halictus, as well as the legs. 



In the L. trlcingit/uni (Curtis), the male is black, 

 shining, and pubescent, exceedingly minutely and 

 thickly punctured, and clothed with soft ochreous 

 hairs ; abdomen with a whitish fascia, narrowest at 

 the middle ; at the base of the second, third, and 

 fourth segments, the fifth segment slightly grey with 

 pubescence, the apex ochreous ; wings iridescent, 

 the posterior margin slightly fuscous ; stigma ochre- 

 ous ; nervures pale brown ; posterior tibiae ochreous ; 

 and tarsi, excepting the first pair, whitish ochre, 

 tipped with ferruginous. 



Curtis says, " t this singular, and, I believe, nonde- 

 script species, appears to form a beautiful connection 

 between the Andrenidce and Apidce ; but, unfortu- 

 nately, the female is unknown. I took three males 

 at Ventnor, in the Isle of Wight, flying about flowers 

 near the sea shore, the 12th September, 1826 ; they 

 look very long on the wing, in consequence of the 

 head, antennas, and bodies, being carried hori- 

 zontally." 



The genus Halictus (Latreille) have the antennae 

 inserted near the middle of the face, long, filiform, and 

 with thirteen joints in the males, the basal joint being 

 the longest, and clothed with long feathery hairs ; 

 second, cup-shaped ; third, semi-ovate ; fourth, stouter 

 and oblong; the remainder slightly decreasing in 

 length, and becoming very ovate or convex on the 

 under side ; terminal joint rounded at the apex. The 



males are smaller and slenderer than the females; 

 having the head orbicular, depressed, the eyes long 

 and ovate, ocelli three, thorax globose ; the abdomen 

 is elliptical in the males, and ovato-conic in the 

 females, with a groove on the back at the apex ; wings 

 superior, with one marginal 1 and three submarginal 

 cells, the central cell the smallest ; tibiae, with long 

 spires or spurs ; posterior robust in the female ; taisi, 

 five jointed, basal joint long and stout in the i'emales, 

 the others minute ; claws bifid in both sexes. 



Mr. Curtis says, the remarkable elliptical impression 

 on the back of the penultimate segment of the ab- 

 domen, distinguishes the female halicti from all other 

 bees, and the head of the male is narrower and more 

 elongated than in Andrena, and the second joint of the 

 antennae is not much larger than the second. Twenty- 

 nine species have been found in England ; they are 

 mostly taken in the spring and summer months. 



The last genus of this family is the Hylccus (Fabri- 

 cius), in which the lip is lance-shaped, the hinder feet 

 in both sexes being alike ; the last joint of the ab- 

 domen in the females with a longitudinal groove above. 

 The HykEiis qiiadri-rinctus is found occasionally near 

 London. The males of this genus are remarkable for 

 an elongate cylindrical body. The wings of many 

 of the species are beautifully iridescent. They nidi- 

 ficate in bare banks, where they may be found in June, 

 July, and August. 



ANDREOSKIA (Decandolle). A genus of an- 

 nual and biennial weeds found in the north of Europe, 

 allied to Sisymbrium, and in the natural order Cru- 

 cifcrcB. 



ANDROCYMBIUM (Linnaeus). A family of 

 bulbous-stemmed herbs, natives of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. Linnaean class and order, Hcxandria Trigynia. 

 Natural order, Melanthaccce. Generic character : 

 calyx, corolla-like, six-petaled ; sepals, long-clawed, 

 convolved like a cup, honey-bearing ; stamens in- 

 serted in the hollows of the sepals ; anthers, leaning, 

 opening outwards; styles terminating the cells of 

 the germen, distinct ; capsule, three-parted, three- 

 celled, three-valved ; cells, many-seeded, and fixed 

 to the dissepiment in a double rank. There arc 

 three species of this family, all curious and orna- 

 mental. 



ANDROMEDA (Linnaeus). An extensive genus 

 of beautiful under shrubs, chiefly natives of North 

 America. Linnaean class and order, Decandria J\fo- 

 iiogynia. Natural order, Ericece. Generic character : 

 calyx, five-cleft, coloured, persisting ; corolla, bell or 

 bottle-shaped, limb, four-toothed, reflexed ; stamens, 

 inserted into the base of the corolla, included ; .fila- 

 ments awl-shaped ; anthers, two-horned, opening by 

 pores at the top (rarely with a back bristle or awn) ; 

 style, cylindrical, persisting; stigma, blunt; capsule, 

 five-celled, five-valved, with many seeds ; valves 

 placed contrary, opening in the middle, with a cen- 

 tral placenta, in five lobes. 



There are nearly fifty species and varieties of the 

 Andromeda, and are usually seen in our gardens in 

 the American borders, intermixed with azaleas, kal- 

 mias, &c. They thrive only in peat earth, or leaf 

 mould and sand ; and in their natural habitats they 

 all affect moist situations ; they are in general pretty 

 little plants, some of them considerable shrubs, and 

 even trees, for the Andromeda rigida rises to the height 

 of about twenty feet. The beautiful red flowers of 

 Andromeda hypnoides are spread over great tracts of 

 the, Lapland Alps, and assist much to adorn the, 



