42 BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



less fuscous above. Thorax finely and very closely punctured, 

 the metathorax rugose ; the tegulse rufo-piceous ; the wings 

 hyaline, iridescent, the nervures fuscous ; the tibiae at their 

 base and apex, the anterior pair in front, and the tarsi yellow ; 

 the anterior tibiae are sometimes fulvous in front ; the claws fer- 

 ruginous. Abdomen elongate, very smooth and shining, im- 

 punctate ; the margins of the intermediate segments depressed, 

 and having at their base laterally a little white pubes- 

 cence. B.M. 



Dr. Nylander suggests the probability of this male belonging 

 to H. subfasciatus, which is very probable, but he does not say 

 whether the clypeus is pale or not at the apex. I have taken 

 this bee near London, but never met with H. subfasciatus ; a 

 doubt existing, they are separated. I did not find the male in 

 Yorkshire, where I took H. subfasciatus, but it was perhaps too 

 early in the season for their appearance. 



23. Halictus minutus. 

 H. niger, valde nitidus ; antennis subtus fulvescentibus. 



Melitta minuta, Kirby, Mon Ap. Angl ii. 61. 20 <? ? . 

 Halictus minutus, St. Farg. Hym. ii. 227. 17. 



Smith, Zool. vi. 2102. 13. 



Nyland. Ap. Boreal p. 202. 7. 



Female. Length 2^-3 lines. Black ; head and thorax very 

 finely punctured; the flagellum fulvescent beneath. Thorax 

 glossy, the wings subhyaline and iridescent, the tegulae and 

 nervures rufo-piceous ; the metathorax rounded, subrugbse at 

 the base, beyond which is a smooth and shining space ; the legs 

 sometimes nigro-piceous, thinly sprinkled with cinereous pu- 

 bescence, the apical joints of the tarsi ferruginous. Abdomen 

 very glossy, ovate and delicately punctured. B.M. 



Male. Length 2| lines. The antennae as long as the thorax, 

 subfulvous beneath, sometimes bright fulvous, the scape black ; 

 the face clothed with white pubescence ; the apex of the clypeus 

 yellowish-white, the mandibles towards their apex reddish-yel- 

 low, their tips ferruginous. Thorax shining, the wings beauti- 

 fully iridescent ; the apical joints of the tarsi rufo-testaceous ; 

 the abdomen elongate, the margins of the intermediate segments 

 depressed. B.M. 



The females of this species most closely resemble those of 

 villosulus, but the puncturing will at once distinguish them ; in 

 minutus the thorax is closely and finely punctured, whilst in vil- 



