GENUS BOMBUS 



'53 



GENUS BOMBUS, Latreille. 



I have divided the British Bombi into two main 

 sections, the Pollen - storers, consisting- of eight 

 species 1 which store the pollen in cells detached 

 from the clusters of larvae, and the Pocket-makers, 

 consisting of nine species which place the pollen in 

 cells attached to the clusters of larvae ; and I have 

 subdivided the Pocket- makers into the Pollen- 

 primers, comprising four large long-tongued species 

 that lay their eggs in cells primed with pollen and 

 dwell under the ground, and the Carder-bees, com- 

 prising five small species that dwell, as a rule, on the 

 surface of the ground, lay shorter and rounder eggs 

 than the other species, and, in the male, have the 

 joints of the antennae swollen behind. 



For the characters distinguishing Bombus from 

 Psithyrtis see p. 203. 



1 Two of these,' B. soroensis and B. cullumanus, the nests of which I have 

 not yet found, are included because in structure they show most affinity with 

 the pollen-storers. 



