BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



61 



ovate, shining and delicately punctured, the apical fimbria 

 fuscous. B.M. 



Male. Length 5^-6 lines. Black; altogether closely resem- 

 bling the other sex; abdomen elongate ovate. B.M. 



This bee usually appears about the end of May; it is an 

 abundant insect in may parts of Kent, and is seldom found out 

 of that county. It occurs at Hawley in Hampshire : burrows, 

 like >A.pilipes, frequents thistle heads, and appears to prefer hard 

 sand banks in which to form its nidus. 



In diiferent individuals the wings will be found to vary consi- 

 derably in the depth of colouring ; Kirby's M. melanocephala is 

 only a large specimen of the male, in fine fresh condition. 



12. Andrena nitida. 



J.nigra nitidiuscula ; thorace hirtissimo rufo-fulvo; scopis supra 

 fuscis, subtus griseo-albis, abdomine apice fusco-fimbriato. 



Apis nitida, Fourc. Ent. Par. ii. 104. 51. 

 Melitta nitida, Kirby, Mon. Ap. Angl. ii. 104. 51. 

 Andrena nitida, Spin. Ins, Lig. fasc. i. p. 122. 8. 



St. Farg. Hym. ii. 237. 5. 



Smith, Zool. v. 1736. 16. 



Nyland. Revis. Ap. Boreal, p. 253. 10 (nee Fair. Panz.). 

 Andrena consimilis, Smith, Zool. v. 1736. 17 (var. $ ). 



Female. Length 5 J-6^ lines. Black ; the pubescence on the 

 clypeus griseous, that on the face and vertex fuscous ; the 

 thorax clothed above with fulvous pubescence ; beneath, as well 

 as the fringe on the femora and floccus on the posterior tro- 

 chanters, white ; the scopa silvery-white beneath, dark fuscous 

 above ; all the legs have a similar fuscous pubescence above ; 

 the wings subhy aline, their apical margins having a fuscous 

 cloud, the nervures ferruginous. Abdomen ovate, shining and 

 very delicately punctured, the second and third segments have 

 on each side on their basal margins a patch of white pubescence ; 

 sometimes the fourth has a similar spot ; the apical fimbria 

 fuscous; beneath, the margins of the segments fringed with 

 white pubescence. B.M. 



Var. a. The legs nigro-piceous ; the posterior tibiae and all the 

 tarsi ferruginous, the scopa pale fulvous, the apical fimbria of 

 the abdomen fulvous. 



Male. Length 5-6 lines. Very closely resembling the female, 

 the pubescence on the face whiter, and the apical joints of 

 flagellum slightly testaceous ; thorax as in the female ; abdo- 



